What Types Of Accidents and Personal Injury Can I Claim For?
A personal injury claim is a legal lawsuit that can be filed by a person who has suffered an injury in an accident due to someone else’s negligence. It’s aimed at compensating the injured accident victims, and it covers several expenses incurred due to the accident. Various types of accidents can be eligible for a personal injury claim that most people don’t even know about.
Hence, if you’ve been involved in an accident and are unsure if you can make a personal injury claim, don’t hesitate to reach out to a personal injury lawyer at Jimeno & Gray, P.A. for a detailed case evaluation.
Here are some of the types of accidents that can be granted personal injury compensation
Road Traffic Accident
Road traffic accidents are the most common accidents that file for personal injury claims. It can involve several road vehicles such as motorbikes, cars, trucks, etc. Some of these vehicle accidents are caused by minor distractions, leaving victims severely injured. The injuries often leave victims with loads of medical bills, missed days from work, damaged personal properties, etc. Due to this, personal injury claims can be filed for victims of road accidents due to someone else’s negligence.
The personal injury claim will cover the cost of car repairs and broken gadgets (phones, laptops, and more). Personal injury claims can be made whether the victim is a pedestrian, driver, or passenger as long as the victim did not fault the cause of the accident. To make a personal injury claim for a road traffic accident, hiring a personal injury lawyer is important.
The personal injury lawyer will check the degrees of the victim’s injury to determine if the case is worth pursuing. Also, if you’re the victim of such an accident, endeavor to keep your medical bills, photographs of the accident scene, and other relevant evidence to help your case as it progresses.
Slip, trip, and fall accidents in public spaces
Supermarkets, shopping malls, schools, and offices are all examples of public spaces. Anyone that passes through a public space shouldn’t be exposed to damage; hence public spaces owners should take steps to keep their clients, customers, and patrons safe.
If there’s a wet floor, a wet floor sign should be put up. Also, if there’s a damaged area (such as damaged flooring) within the public space, there should be a warning sign to inform passersby of the impending dangers in the area.
Sometimes, the injuries caused by slip and fall accidents can be severe. It could cause injuries such as; fractured bones, a damaged knee, traumatic brain injury, dislocated shoulder, and many more. The injuries could lead to missed workdays and lots of medical bills.
Therefore, if you’ve fallen victim to a slip and fall accident in a public setting, it’s possible to file a personal injury claim. Ensure that you contact a personal injury lawyer to analyze your slip and fall accident case.
Medical Negligence
Medical negligence occurs when medical practitioners deviate from the standards of the medical field when treating a patient. Such negligence could cause complications, deformities, and other forms of injury to the patients. Medical negligence often occurs during diagnosis, aftercare, surgeries, and other treatment or therapy. Some examples of medical negligence include;
- Misdiagnosis of a medical condition
- Failure to enlighten the patients of the risk and everything involved in the medical procedure
- Misprescription of medication
- Misuse of anesthesia during medical procedures
Medical malpractice cases are often taken seriously because of their sensitivity. Everyone visits a clinic to get healed or get their systems under control. So it becomes an issue when the patients leave worse than when they requested the help of a medical practitioner. Hence, victims of medical negligence can file a medical malpractice lawsuit against a negligent healthcare provider.
Workplace accident
Employers are usually held responsible for workers who sustain injuries due to the employer’s ignorance. Employers should organize training sections for their workers to enlighten them about workplace safety procedures. They’re also required to make available the necessary PPE (personal protection equipment) for safety while at work.
Most workplace accidents are usually severe and could leave workers traumatized when returning to their duties after recovering from injuries. Some common workplace injuries include; falls from heights, entanglement, slip and fall accidents, being hit by an object, and electrocution, to mention a few.
Some of these workplace accidents leave victims deformed and unable to enjoy their normal quality of life. Victims of workplace accidents can file personal injury claims to compensate for lost wages, medical expenses, physical and emotional trauma, etc.
Fatal Injuries
Sometimes accidents lead to severe injuries that leave the victim deformed for life. Some accidents due to negligence also lead to the loss of lives. Anyone involved in either of these scenarios can file for personal injury claims through a personal injury lawyer.
The family members of the deceased victims have the right to file for compensation for the loss of their loved ones. The compensation could help the family through the tough times.
Types of Injury Claims That Can Be Granted To Victims of Accidents Due To Negligence
There are two categories of personal injury compensation; compensatory damages and punitive damages.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages are created to compensate the accident victim for the injuries sustained. Compensatory damages can also be categorized into two;
- Special compensatory damages:
These damages cover the financial losses caused by the accident. It takes care of the medical expenses, lost income, and more
- General compensatory damages:
It covers the non-financial aspects of the injury, such as; emotional distress, loss of consortium, pain, and suffering.
Punitive Damages
These damages are granted to victims of accidents due to negligence to punish perpetrators for their actions. This compensation aims to inform the general public that such acts won’t be condoned. Punitive damages are particularly applicable to perpetrators who intentionally caused the accident.
