Personal
Injury
Personal injury is no laughing matter. Personal injury can be
from mild to devastating in form. Personal
injury lawsuits are on the rise due to increases in negligence,
medical malpractice and
a rush to get products to market without thorough testing. Public
awareness is also a contributing matter to the increase of personal
injury lawsuits. If you've received a personal injury then you've
come to the right place. Or, perhaps you're unsure if what has
happened to you qualifies as a personal injury then check out
the pages on this site for more information.
When discussing a personal injury it is important
to first determine what the injury is and what caused it. Some
personal injuries might include a head injury due to a car
accident, a leg injury due to a boating accident, a "slip
and fall" injury due to a wet floor or a hand injury due
to a defective or dangerous product. No two personal injuries
are the same, so noting all of the specifics will be helpful in
the long-run.
The most prevalent personal injury cases
involve auto accidents, dog bites and slip and fall accidents.
These types of claims make up the "standard" cases that
most personal injury lawyers handle
on a daily basis. There may be however, larger and more complex
lawsuits that personal injury lawyers and law offices get involved
in as well, such as product liability
claims.
Product liability claims are on the rise in the pharmaceutical,
auto manufacturer and construction industries. Merck and Company
has voluntarily recalled Vioxx
when studies indicated that Vioxx may cause an increased risk
for heart attack and stroke. General Motors has recalled 2 million
vehicles for several different issues involving personal safety.
In the construction industry, many high profile cases have been
filed for asbestos and mesothelioma
(cancer) related injuries. Personal injury law or tort law has
been applied to many such cases lately.
Some other personal injury lawsuits that also involve injuries
with long-term consequences are brain
injuries and birth injuries.
For the person receiving the brain injury, the long-term consequences
can be devastating to themselves and their families. With more
long-term data now more than any other time in history, cases
for brain injured clients can be built even when there has been
little or no outward signs that a trauma has occurred.
Birth injury claims can also be sought for the same reasons,
though most personal injuries of this type do have obvious and
outward signs of the injury. Cerebral palsy, dislocated shoulders,
broken collar bones, limp arms, brain trauma and Group-B Strep
are all common kinds of injuries that occur during the birth of
a child. Personal injuries of this nature can be due to malpractice
or from negligence on the part of the doctors and medical staff.
If a child has been injured during birth it is important to retain
a personal injury lawyer immediately so that witnesses with fresh
memories can be deposed and records gathered.
Those who receive any kind of personal injury or personal trauma
caused by another party should be encouraged to keep diligent
records right from the beginning. Whether these records are stored
in a personal diary or on audio tape or typed neatly on a home
computer, matters not. What matters is that the documents contain
names, dates, places and as much detail as possible as to what
occurred and what was said by whom so that later these notes can
be referred to and used in a settlement or in court if needed.
Photographs are also a valuable tool as photographic evidence
can be very persuasive in court.
The idea of record-keeping, though, will seem counter-intuitive
to most who have just received a personal injury and are still
in crisis. So, asking a spouse or trusted friend to dictate notes
may relieve some of this burden.
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Remember that a personal injury
may have longer term consequences than anyone may ever imagine,
so it is important that the injured party do what they can
to make sure they're covered in the long-run. Having a comprehensive
record of events and timelines will help in achieving this
goal. Personal injury laws, commonly referred to as torts,
are on the books to protect those who have been injured by
the negligence or willfulness (maliciousness) of another party. |
If you believe you've received such a personal injury then discuss
this with an attorney in your jurisdiction who offers a free consultation
(most do). It's good to know your rights when it comes to the
law, so for all sorts of personal injury law information, check
out this entire website as it is filled with helpful hints, tips
and suggestions. Also, check out the personal injury news section
to find out the latest happenings and lawsuits.
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