What Turns an Accident Into A Personal Injury Case?
People always get involved in accidents, but how the accidents happen differs. The element that turns an accident into a personal injury case is negligence. When a person neglects their duty of care, causing an accident, they become liable for the injuries they inflict on the victims involved in the accident.
Holding a negligent party liable is often complex, especially if the victim decides to pursue a legal lawsuit. It’s often in the victim’s best interest to hire an experienced lawyer from a San Antonio law firm that handles personal injury cases. They can evaluate the case, determine whether it qualifies as a personal injury case, and help pursue compensation for the following cases.
1. Car Accident Personal Injury Cases
Car accident claims top the list of personal injury cases in the United States. Millions of people get involved in car accidents every year, sustaining severe injuries that sometimes affect them for the rest of their lives. Most car accident victims pursue a compensation claim to help them meet their medical and living expenses.
The common causes of car accident cases are distracted and drunk driving. The accidents involve various vehicles, such as passenger cars, motorbikes, bicycles, buses, and trucks. Proving fault is one of the requirements for a successful compensation claim, yet it can sometimes be complex. Having a San Antonio personal injury lawyer can make getting a settlement possible.
2. Workplace Injuries
Workplace injuries are common in the personal injury law space. Workers sustain injuries from many different things depending on the work environment and the conditions under which they work. Many employers fail to provide the necessary safety equipment outlined in the law, leading to hazardous situations that could cause catastrophic injuries.
Some of the most common industries where workplace injuries occur are road construction, roofing, electrical, mining, oil rigs, building framers, and jobs involving chemicals. If you work in an industry where your employer doesn’t provide proper safety equipment, you should reconsider that position before something catastrophic happens.
3. Premises Liability Injuries
Personal injuries happen when you sustain an injury while on another person’s property. For example, if the property conditions were unsafe for the people on the premises, the property owners may be liable for negligence. A personal injury lawyer in San Antonio can help you file a compensation claim.
4. Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents typically happen on-premises, in poorly lit areas, walkways, stairs, or floors that have recently been mopped. When people or the government fail to put proper safety measures in place on private property and public utilities like roads, respectively, people can slip and fall, sustaining severe injuries.
These include spine and brain injuries and broken bones in the legs and hands. Most slip and fall accidents are due to negligence, and victims often file a personal injury claim.
5. Assault, Battery, and Willful Violence
While anger can get the best of anyone, causing harm to another person as a way of revenge or just because of being angry can lead to a personal injury case. The offender can be held liable for the injuries and be made to compensate the victim.
Some common types of willful violence that lead to personal injury lawsuits are road rage, getting into fights, arguments that turn violent, and the pursuit of revenge. Something as small as pushing someone can quickly turn violent, leading to a significant legal issue if the person sustains injuries.
6. Medical Malpractice
Doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners can cause severe injuries to patients due to medical malpractice. Most claims under this category arise when healthcare providers don’t deliver the highest level of competent care to their patients, sometimes making mistakes, even though not intentionally.
Medical malpractice personal injury claims include birth injuries, surgical mistakes, improper treatment, misdiagnosis, and pharmacy errors. They’re often among the most complicated personal injury claims.
7. Product Liability Claims
Manufacturers have a legal duty to ensure the safety of their products during the manufacturing process and to test them before releasing them into the market for consumer use. Unfortunately, some products find their way into the market with flaws that pose a risk to the users, resulting in injuries.
Victims of injuries caused by defective products can file a lawsuit against the product distributor or the manufacturer. A personal injury attorney in San Antonio can help determine liability and pursue compensation.
8. Dog Bite Injuries
An attack by a dog on someone can be severe, if not fatal. Millions of people suffer dog bite injuries annually, and most victims end up in hospitals with bad injuries. A skilled personal injury attorney in San Antonio can help determine liability and pursue a claim against the negligent dog owner.
9. Defective or Hazardous Drug Injuries
Drug manufacturers sometimes overlook the legal safety standards when launching a new drug. Once consumed, they cause life-long consequences to the users. Personal injury cases due to defective drugs are often in the form of class action lawsuits against drug companies.
10. Defamation
Personal injury cases entail more than just physical injuries and can sometimes be emotional. Defamation is one such personal injury case involving statements damaging an individual’s reputation, especially if the comments become public.
Victims can file a lawsuit to pursue compensation for damages like lost earnings, lost earning capacity, humiliation, and disgrace arising from the slander and false accusations.
An Experienced Legal Expert Investigating Your Personal Injury Claim
If you sustain injuries in an accident due to someone’s else negligence, you should pursue compensation for the damages. The list above is just a glimpse into the most common situations that cause injuries that lead to a personal injury lawsuit. After sustaining an injury, contact a San Antonio law firm as soon as possible to ensure you start the legal process within time limits.
Our law firm has been helping personal injury victims for many years now. Our personal injury lawyer in San Antonio is skilled, aggressive, and passionate about helping victims pursue the compensation they deserve in their personal injury cases. Whatever the cause of your injuries, we can evaluate your case and advise you. Talk to us immediately for expert advice.