Types of Personal Injury Cases – Detailed Guide!

Los Angeles is the center of attraction in the United States. The city being the central hub for the movie and television industry is one of the most overpopulated cities in California. Consequently, it records the maximum number of personal injury cases every year.

An accident never comes knocking on anyone’s door. However, it brings severe trauma, damage, loss, and injury, for which one may not be well prepared. Suffering an injury due to a second party’s negligence should not have to leave you in a state of constant suffering. This is why US law has provided for a victim of a personal injury to seek compensation for the overall damage and diminished quality of life from the party responsible. If you hire a reasonable and well-experienced attorney, getting compensation for your personal injury should not be a challenge.

The few most common types of personal injury cases that require you to hire a Los Angeles personal injury attorney are auto accidents, workers compensation, slip and fall, medical malpractice, assault, and dog bites. According to US statistics, it is discovered that almost 95% of the personal injury cases get settled pretrial, and about only 5% of cases go to trial. There are strict laws made to deal with personal injury cases in the United States. Different states have fixed durations within which you can file a lawsuit. As for California, you are eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit within two years duration from the date of the accident.

Here is a brief list of cases in which you can claim personal injury compensation according to US laws.

1. Auto Collision – Los Angeles is a busy city. Unfortunately, it is also a city that sees a significant number of auto collision accidents each year. According to reports, the total number of auto collision accidents in 2015 stood at 52,000. This number significantly soared up by nearly 20 percent in 2016. This number indicates that, on average, at least one person is killed in auto collision accidents every 40 hours in Los Angeles. An auto collision or traffic accident caused due to the negligence of another person can cause massive damage to the victim both physically, mentally, and financially. In case of being a victim of an auto collision accident, you are entitled to personal injury compensation. It is crucial to avail the expertise of personal injury lawyers as they are well aware of the legal aspects of such cases and can help you fill in all legal formalities, gather evidence, and represent your case in court.
2. Medical Malpractice – Medical Malpractice cases are perhaps the most common types of cases that fall under the category of personal injury cases. It refers to the professional negligence done by the healthcare provider, which has resulted in the treatment having an unacceptable standard of practice in the medical community. An example of this would be the carelessness of a doctor, nurse, dentist, or any other medical professional. It includes medical errors like misdiagnosis of a disease, surgical error, medication mistake, and improper treatment. In the case of medical malpractice, the victim is eligible to file a lawsuit for compensation from the professional responsible.
3. Wrongful Death – Another scenario in which the victim’s family stands eligible to file a legal suit for compensation under the personal injury law is wrongful death. The death of an individual caused due to the recklessness or negligence of another person falls under the category of wrongful death. The compensation in terms of a case of wrongful death of an individual comes under two types: special and general compensatory damages. The law requires a wrongful death lawsuit to be filed by a representative on behalf of the eligible survivor(s) who have suffered harm from the decedent’s death.
4. Workplace Accident – As the name suggests, a person who has suffered an injury while being on the job during a specific event or over time due to repetitive physical stress is eligible for worker’s compensation. These types of cases fall under personal injury cases. Such work-related injuries include hypertension, heart disease, breathing complications, or exposure to toxic chemicals or gases. In many cases, it can get challenging to fight for a worker’s compensation in court without sound legal advice and guidance since the lawsuit is complicated in nature. By hiring a Los Angeles, personal injury attorney, you can confidently face the responsible party and claim rightful compensation for your injury and damages.

These are a few cases that fall under the category of personal injury cases, and a victim of any of these circumstances is eligible by the law to fight for compensation from the responsible party in court. If you or anyone you know has suffered an injury due to any of the above-mentioned reasons and wishes to take legal action against the responsible party, it is wise to consider hiring a professional personal injury attorney to file and fight your case to maximize the chances of success of your lawsuit.