Accidents and injuries are common in life. Unfortunately, no matter how careful or thoughtful you are, not everyone else behaves the same way, meaning that sometimes you may end up the victim of someone else’s negligence. Worse still, you could be left suffering from an injury – physical or mental – that was not your fault.
In these situations it is common to feel alone, worried, or scared about the future, not knowing where to turn for help. Luckily, there are professionals around and plenty of advice to help you through a personal injury situation. If you’ve suffered from an injury that could have been prevented, read on to find out more about the process from here on.
Personal Injury Stats
As mentioned at the top, unfortunately, accidents are common. Many of them are small and lead to no further action being taken.
But, believe it or not, there are over 400,000 injury claims filed in the US every single year. That’s a little over 1,000 claims per day! Of these, around 11% reach court, while the other 89% are settled out of court with financial settlements. The median settlement amount is around $25,000, however, in certain cases, financial rewards of over $3 million have been seen.
Speak to an Attorney
It may seem obvious, but the first thing you need to do if you are worried about an injury you have suffered at the hand of someone else, you need to reach out to a local law firm. As the injury lawyers of Krzak Rundio Law Group say on their site, “A successful injury lawsuit can achieve the client’s goals of finding out what caused the occurrence, acting to prevent repeat offenses, and providing financial security for the future.”
This kind of result can only be achieved with top legal teams. Find an attorney in your local area who understands the local legal systems and injury laws.
You also need to make sure your local attorney is specialized in this subject matter. This means someone who has a wealth of experience in dealing with personal injury, car accidents, or medical malpractice lawsuits. If they have this sort of experience, they are far more likely to be successful in filing a claim on your behalf, as they have an in-depth knowledge of the laws surrounding your sort of case.
Don’t Worry About the Money
All good injury law firms will see you for free in the first instance. They want the chance to speak to you, share how they work, and tell you how much they believe your case is worth. The benefit of this is that you get to sit down with them for free and find out if you like them. Your attorney should be someone you trust and get along with, as they are going to work on your behalf. So use this free meeting as an opportunity to find the most suitable lawyer for you.
Who is at Fault?
The big issue with personal injury law is proving negligence on someone else’s part. Meaning, for the most part, you can only file a claim if someone else caused your injuries. Let’s briefly take a look at some of the most common areas of injury law.
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Car Accidents
More injuries happen on the road than anywhere else in the entire country. Road accidents are so common, therefore injury claims based around motoring accidents are the most common claims too. In these cases, it could be the vehicle manufacturer, a drunk driver, or someone who ran a red light who caused your injuries.
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Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice involves injuries caused by medical practitioners or sickness caught while in a hospital. In these cases, you must be able to prove that the medical team’s negligence caused your injuries. This could be anything from a surgeon making a mistake to a nurse administering the wrong drug. These types of cases tend to get a high settlement due to their extreme nature.
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Workplace Injuries
Also very common across the country are workplace injuries. Anything from slips and trips to injury caused by machinery can be covered here. Workplace injuries often involve a workers’ insurance compensation alongside a claim against any negligent parties.
Move Quickly
It’s important to make sure you move quickly after an accident or injury. In most states, the statute of limitations for an injury claim is two years. After this time, it will be impossible to file a new case based on old injuries. This is because evidence fades away fast after this point, making cases much harder to prove or argue against.
Protect Evidence
Through any injury – even if you aren’t sure that you’ll take it to settlement – you should keep records of everything. From medical bills to insurance, travel expenses to communication with your job, everything is vital. This can help your legal team build a strong case for settlement and also help you make sure you get paid from work and have proof of your injuries for any other reason you may need. Don’t throw a single receipt away!
Seek a Settlement
So, 89% of personal injury claims end in settlement. This will be an amount that your lawyer feels is suitable to cover costs of injury, loss of earnings, ongoing medical bills, personal damages, and more. They will negotiate this figure with the opposition’s lawyers until an agreement is reached. Don’t worry – you’ll have the final say on whether to accept or not.
Bring About Change
Another less spoken-about benefit of going through this process is the ability to bring about change. People who injure others while drunk driving or doctors who are lazy should not be allowed to get away with it. A legal battle can help make people change while also bringing about changes in the law in certain cases. If drunk drivers always got away with it, it wouldn’t be illegal. Fight for what you know is right for yourself and the wider population!
Look after yourself after an accident whilst also looking after your future. The law is there to help you. Seek a settlement with a strong legal team and it can help you get through the worst of your injuries.