Personal Injury

Accidents, Injuries and Negligence

Accidents happen. They are a part of life, and at times there is simply nothing we can do to avoid being seriously injured. What if an accident is caused by another person’s carelessness or recklessness? In situations where a person is injured because another (an individual or a business entity) acts intentionally or is negligent and causes harm, the injured party may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. This will give the injured party the opportunity to seek financial compensation for his or her losses, expenses and damages. The financial compensation received from a personal injury lawsuit can make all the difference for an injured party, enabling him or her to rebuild and move on even in the wake of a serious injury.

By definition, a personal injury is a physical or emotional injury that is sustained as the result of another’s conduct. The other party’s conduct may be intentional or unintentional, but if injury results the victim may be able to sue for damages. Some of the most common types of personal injury cases involve motor vehicle accidents of all kinds, such as motorcycle accidents, car accidents and truck accidents. Some other common types of claims involve slip and fall accidents, birth injuries, dog bites and defective products.

A personal injury lawsuit may apply to virtually any situation where another person is responsible for the injuries that someone else has experienced. The three primary grounds for these cases are:

• Negligence – when a person does something or fails to do something and this constitutes a failure to act with proper/reasonable caution and care. Though the incident may have occurred on accident, the negligent party may still be held accountable.
• Strict liability – there are situations where an individual or company may be held liable for another’s injuries regardless of their particular intent or negligence. For example, the manufacturer of a defective product may be held accountable regardless of a specific act of negligence or intent to cause harm to a consumer.
• Intentional conduct – intentionally causing harm to another person may be grounds for a personal injury claim. This may apply in cases related to assault, sexual abuse or similar situations.

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