Every minute in the U.S., an American is injured due to an accident, with one American dying every three minutes due to accidental injury. These numbers include overdose, vehicle crash, and drowning rates.
Such personal injuries are considered preventable, but accidents still happen. Though many lose their lives to accidents every day, still more will become permanently injured and experience changes to their mental and emotional well-being as a result.
Mounting medical expenses, lost wages, effects on relationships, and severe physical injuries are just a few of the ways that a personal injury can affect a person or their loved ones.
When that injury results from someone else’s negligence, the injured party may have a right to recover damages from the incident or receive compensation for their loss.
Types Of Personal Injury Cases
Personal injury cases can vary widely and may include several different types of cases.
These cases include:
- Assault and battery
- Bike accident
- Car accident /auto accident
- Dog bite
- Inadequate Security
- Libel
- Medical Malpractice
- Motorcycle accident
- Rideshare accident
- Sexual assault and battery
- Slander
- Slip and fall accidents
- Swimming pools accidents
- Truck accident
- Wrongful Death
Knowing if your case is a personal injury case can help you decide if you want to hire a personal injury lawyer to pursue compensation for your medical bills as well as any pain and suffering.
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Reasons To Pursue A Personal Injury Case
If you have suffered an injury, you may feel compelled to file a claim against the opposing party. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help accident victims with serious injuries seek compensation from the negligent party as well as the insurance company.
In addition to recovering damages for tangible things, like lost wages or medical bills resulting from the accident, filing a personal injury claim achieves the goal of holding the negligent party accountable.
Here are four reasons to file a personal injury lawsuit:
1. Covering Medical Expenses
Some personal injuries can lead to multiple doctor appointments, emergency medical treatment costs, or surgeries. If you suffered mental or emotional anguish, counseling, therapy, and other forms of mental healthcare may also be necessary.
Even with insurance, these expenses can mount quickly and be overwhelming even for the most financially stable individuals. Filing a claim for your injury can cover the medical costs caused by the accident. In some cases, personal injury claims can apply to future medical expenses as well.
2. Recovering Other Damages
Sometimes, you may suffer a loss of enjoyment of life or a loss of a relationship due to your accident. For example, if you lose the use of your legs due to a motor vehicle accident, you may want compensation for things you will miss out on in life without being able to use your legs.
3. Avoiding Future Accidents
Perhaps one of the most important reasons to file a personal injury claim is to help avoid future, repeat accidents. If a person was driving recklessly and causes an auto accident, society will want that person held accountable.
Pursuing damages and exposing the person’s fault in the accident will help deter them from engaging in future risky behavior. It can also serve as an example to others.
4. Accountability
Holding the at-fault party responsible is important, but it is equally important to hold accountable your insurance company and that of the negligent party’s. Insurance companies must protect their own rights, which means they will likely try to compensate accident victims with a low settlement offer.
Filing a personal injury claim and seeking legal advice in the process ensures you will have help in fighting for the compensation you deserve according to your losses.
When To Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer
There is no set deadline for when to hire a personal injury attorney following an accident. However, it is in your best interest to seek legal advice as soon as possible in order to avoid being without counsel throughout the process.
If you have been in a car accident, you will need to speak to your insurance company to cover medical bills and property damage. Calling a personal injury law firm immediately after being treated for the accident is a good starting point. Personal injury lawyers can help by connecting with the insurance company to ensure your claims are paid.
For certain claims, it is extremely important to take legal steps in a timely manner. Medical malpractice personal injury claims can be extremely lengthy and require that the doctor be notified within a certain amount of time in some states. For these cases, hiring an attorney with years of experience and filing as soon as possible can be crucial to the outcome of your claim.
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Questions To Ask A Personal Injury Attorney
To protect your own legal interests, you should never pursue a personal injury claim without hiring an experienced lawyer. Before you seek an attorney, you may want to prepare any questions you may have. This can ease the process and help you make an informed decision.
Here are 7 questions to ask before hiring a personal injury lawyer:
1. Have you tried personal injury cases before?
Hiring an experienced lawyer can be crucial to the outcome of your claim. Florin|Roebig has more than three decades of experience in defending personal injury cases.
2. What fees do you charge?
Knowing the cost upfront can be an important deciding factor in who you hire. Personal injury lawyers typically receive a percentage of recovered damages or work on a contingency fee basis. It is also necessary to understand if you will be responsible for any case-related costs if you do not recover damages.
3. Will my case go to trial?
While it would be optimal for each case to be resolved with a favorable settlement for both parties, this is often not the case. Your personal injury lawyer should prepare for your case to go to trial if a settlement offer cannot be agreed upon. When asking about the possibility of a trial for your claim, be sure to ask about your attorney’s success rate and track record for personal injury cases.
4. Who will be assigned to my case?
Some law firms are not transparent from the beginning about who will be handling your individual case. Ask for specific details on attorneys in the firm and request contact information for the lawyer who will oversee your claim in case you have questions.
5. What will be expected of me?
If you are an injury victim who wants to be well-informed, let this be known. Ask if you will be allowed to attend depositions and informative meetings. If not, ask how the law firm intends to keep you informed as the case proceeds.
6. Can you provide references?
Before making an ultimate decision, it may be a good idea to speak to a previous client who can provide a testimonial of their experience in working with the potential attorney.
7. What is my case worth?
While no one can tell you the exact worth of your case, an experienced personal injury attorney should be able to provide a range for reference. They may also be able to determine approximately how much you may possibly recover based on specific details related to your case.
What Types Of Damages Can Be Recovered?
Each person’s incident is unique to them, and each accident can lead to a myriad of injuries. How you are affected can depend on a range of factors. First, your personal injury lawyer must prove negligence on behalf of the at-fault party.
Whether you can recover damages will then depend on your state’s individual law regarding negligence. Damages are awarded based on the type of claim you are trying to pursue. In general, damages are classified as compensatory, punitive, and general.
Types of damages most commonly recovered in a personal injury case include:
- emotional distress
- pain and suffering
- medical bills
- lost income
- loss of enjoyment
- loss of consortium
Find Legal Help Today For Your Personal Injury Case
The experienced lawyers at Florin|Roebig provide a free consultation to discuss your case, explore the details, and answer any questions you may have. We can discuss the different types of personal injury claims with you and explain which ones you can include on your claim.
Our personal injury attorneys will defend your claim to the highest degree possible, helping you recover damages for your loss and get your life back on track in the process. Call today for a free consultation.
