A personal injury case occurs when a person becomes harmed due to another party’s negligence or misconduct, a factor that goes beyond simple negligence. For example, a driver becomes distracted or does not come to a complete stop, causing an accident. Recklessness is a driver speeding several miles above the speed limit or driving while under the influence.
Personal injury cases vary in size and scope. A slight personal injury may only result in a few hundred dollars—such as to repair car damages or deal with small medical bills—other personal injury cases, however, result in thousands of damages. We’ll explore five of the most common types of personal injury cases.
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car collisions and wrecks are probably the most common form of personal injury cases. Even though cars are far safer today than in the past, accidents still occur, especially when the human element is involved. Examples of automobile accidents include:
- Automobile accidents — cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, etc.
- Motorcycle accidents
- Trucking accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Uber, Lyft, and taxi accidents
- Product Liability
A personal injury case due to product liability occurs when someone suffers injury due to a dangerous product. Issues such as design defects, manufacturing defects, or not enough warnings regarding the product are all examples of negligence. These cases can be more complex to prove than others, but it’s possible to win a case without even proving the manufacturer was at fault.
- Medical Malpractice
When a healthcare provider such as a physician harms a patient through inadequate medical care, then this might be a case of medical malpractice. Although nearly all medical procedures and treatments carry some inherent risk, medical malpractice refers to when a medical provider or physician exercises negligence or recklessness that could have easily been avoided. Examples include:
- Errors in surgery
- Misdiagnosis
- Performing procedures on the wrong patient
- Leaving a foreign object in the patient like sponges or gauze
- Prescribing the wrong medication
- The healthcare provider knowingly uses outdated or defective equipment
- Animal Bites and Attacks
It’s a pet owner’s responsibility to ensure their pets don’t cause harm to other people. While an animal bite or attack may apply to any animal, the most common cases are dog bites. However, pet owners often receive flexibility for the first instance of their pet attacking another person as long as the damage is manageable and they don’t know their pet is a danger.
- Wrongful Death
Unfortunately, sometimes personal injury cases result in wrongful death. When a victim dies due to a personal injury case, then the case can be considered wrongful death. In the case of wrongful death, the victim’s family is allowed to seek compensation for factors such as funeral costs, any medical bills regarding treatment while the victim was alive, and compensation for pain and suffering.
These are the five most common types of personal injury cases, but personal injury cases can have many causes. If you or a loved one recently experienced a personal injury, you’ll want to contact a personal injury lawyer in Lakeland, FL. Our friends at David & Philpot, P.L. have a team of lawyers that can help.
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