What Kind of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?
Any case in which one person has suffered injury or illness due to the neglect of another party can be handled by a personal injury lawyer. However, not all lawyers take all types of cases. Instead, most attorneys specialize in a handful of areas where they have experience and expertise.
Personal injuries can cause pain, anguish, and stress, and on top of this, they can make you miss work. When you’re coping with the aftermath of an injury, the last thing you want to do is worry about how you’re going to cover your bills.
It’s important to find the right lawyer for your type of accident or injury. A lawyer without experience in a particular area may still be willing to take on your case, but this is not the best way to get a settlement that is adequate to cover your damages and future expenses.
So what are the most common types of cases personal injury attorneys handle? The following are the four most common types of personal injury lawsuits.
1. Vehicle Accidents
Vehicle accidents are the most common cause of personal injury lawsuits. If you’re thinking about filing a lawsuit because you’ve been involved in a crash with a vehicle, you are far from alone. Every year in the United States there are approximate:
- Six million car accidents
- 500,000 truck accidents
- Approximately 857 bicyclists are involved in crashes with vehicles
- Approximately 6,000 pedestrians are involved in vehicle accidents
- Over 5,000 motorcycle vs. car accidents each year.
That’s a lot of accidents, and most of them end up in court. In most of these cases, the at-fault party or parties are held liable for the damages.
2. Slip and Fall
According to the National Floor Safety Institute, slip and fall accidents send one million people to the emergency room each year. Serious injuries occur in 20-30% of cases, and 15% of all accidental deaths in the U.S. are caused by slip and fall accidents.
People who are involved in these accidents can end up with:
- Brain injuries
- Hip fractures
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
In addition to these injuries, victims of slip and fall injuries can end up with medical bills, missed work, lost future wages, and the costs of medical equipment. Survivors of the victims of fatal slip and falls can end up with funeral expenses as well.
3. Medical Malpractice
According to Johns Hopkins University, medical mistakes are the third-leading cause of death in the country. The Journal of the American Medical Association has stated that there are:
- 106,000 deaths from the adverse effects of medications
- 80,000 deaths from healthcare-associated infections
- 12,000 deaths from unnecessary surgery
- 7,000 deaths from medication errors
- An additional 20,000 deaths from other types of mistakes
Despite these shocking statistics, most deaths and injuries from medical malpractice will not end up in court as this is the most difficult type of personal injury case to prove.
4. Workplace Accidents
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 5,250 workers died on the job in 2018, and 2.8 of every 100 workers were injured or developed an illness on the job in 2017. The most deadly occupations in the U.S. are agriculture and construction. The most common causes of injury, illness, and death on the job are:
- Falling
- Lifting
- Violence
- Stress
- Hazardous materials
- Trips and falls
- Poor lighting
- Being crushed between objects
- Falling objects
In the case of on-the-job injuries, you may be better off filing a workers’ compensation claim rather than filing a personal injury lawsuit.
If you’ve been injured by another party’s negligence, you may want to consider contacting a personal injury law firm for a consultation. Although you are legally allowed to represent yourself in court and file a claim on your own, it’s not always the best option.
When it comes to your health, your future, and your finances, this is not the time to let someone who doesn’t have the experience to be at the wheel.