What Is Injury Law?

The law of injury focuses on civil offenses that cause damage to your body, emotions and mind. The goal of a successful injury lawsuit is to obtain money for damages like medical bills, pain and suffering.

It's not easy to avoid injuries such as this, however it is important to be as safe as possible. For example, if you are about to fall backwards, you should turn your head to the side and then shield it by using your arms.

Negligence

Someone who suffers injury or other losses due to another's negligent actions can file a negligence lawsuit and seek financial compensation. However, the plaintiff must first prove four factors to prove their claim: breach of duty, breach of duty, causation and damages.

Negligence is defined as a person's inability to act with the same level of care reasonable people would have in similar circumstances. For example, a driver must follow traffic laws to avoid accidents and injury to other people on the road. A doctor is required to give patients the same level of care equivalent to what a similarly trained medical professional would offer in similar situations. Lawyers can utilize expert testimony to prove that the defendant's behavior fell short of the industry standards.

To prevail in a negligence case the plaintiff must show that the defendant's failure to perform their duty was the direct cause for their injury. This is known as legal causation. A good personal injury lawyer will argue that the defendant’s actions were the sole reason for the plaintiff's injuries.

The plaintiff must prove that their injuries have resulted in an unjustifiable financial loss, like medical bills and lost income. A more serious type of negligence is gross negligence, which involves an absolute lack of concern for the safety of others. A nursing home that isn't able to change a patient's bandages for a period of time is an instance of gross negligence. In some states, defendants can rely on a defense known as contributory negligence to prevent the plaintiff from claiming damages.

Statute of limitations

The statute of limitations is the period of time in which you are required to file a claim in the event that someone else's negligence or reckless disregard of your safety results in harm. This time limit is set by the state's legislature to ensure timely filing and avoid unreasonable delays.

The time limit for filing a claim varies from one state to the next and also from type of injury to kind of injury. In Pennsylvania for instance, car accidents allow for two years to submit a personal injury claim. However, certain claims could be subject to the discovery rule. This means that the statute of limitations doesn't begin until the injury is discovered or could have been reasonably discovered.

In certain circumstances, such as those involving intentional torts, such as false imprisonment and assaults, as well as defamation and the intentional infliction of emotional distress, the limitations period is extended. A statute of limitation can be extended or waived in certain circumstances, like when a minor is involved or someone is serving in the military or incarcerated.

If you decide to file a lawsuit after the deadline for filing a lawsuit has passed, your case will be dismissed without hearing. This is why it's important to speak with an experienced injury lawyer before the statute of limitations runs out.

Damages

Many of the expenses that result from an injury come with an associated cost. These are known as special damages and can include medical expenses, out of pocket costs, lost wages the cost of repairing or replace your property and other fixed amounts. The law does not limit the amount of these damages you are able to recover.

Other losses are more difficult to quantify, for instance suffering and pain, loss in enjoyment of life, and a variety of other intangible harms. It can be difficult to put a value on subjective losses, such as physical or emotional discomfort however, lawyers and insurance companies make use of formulas to quantify them.

For instance, a defendant in a personal-injury case for whiplash may have suffered significant injuries that bring lots of pain and difficulty to their day-to-day life. They might be required to seek help with household chores, change their diet, and not be able to enjoy social or recreational activities. The victim might suffer an impairment in enjoyment, which could be compensated as general damages.

To determine the value of a claim for general damages lawyers and insurance companies typically begin by calculating the total for medical special damages, and then add the value of any income losses. They will then multiply this amount by a number ranging from 1.5 to 5. The higher multipliers are generally associated with more severe injuries.

Liability

In law liability refers to the person found to be responsible for an injury or harm. This can be due to negligence or strict liability. Negligence is the basis for a majority of injury claims. Negligence is the inability to act with reasonable care in the circumstances. The jury decides what an average person in similar circumstances would do and decides if the defendant's actions or inactions violated this standard. However, some cases are based on strict liability, like the case where a defective product causes injuries.

In addition to damages for economic losses, victims may be entitled to compensation for damages that are not economic such as suffering and pain. The amount of these damages is difficult to estimate but our expert injury lawyers are skilled at maximizing the value of your claim.

The majority of personal injury lawsuits involve a single plaintiff against several defendants, however there are also multi-plaintiff lawsuits like class actions or mass torts. One or more plaintiffs could be a company such as a pharmaceutical company or an insurance company, or it could be another individual who shares your. In these instances, multiple parties could be held accountable depending on the evidence offered by each plaintiff and the findings of an investigation. If you've suffered injuries due to the negligence of someone else or due to a wrongdoing and you are injured, call us immediately to discuss your case.