Personal Injury and Civil Lawsuits

Remember that time you fell down the slippery steps at the local mall because of debris that was left behind? Or the time that your grandma slipped on the wet curb outside of the grocery store? These are examples of incidents that can become civil lawsuits. Personal injury that occurs as no fault of your own and is due to the negligence of others could result in a lawsuit.

Did you suffer any pain? Maybe you had to stop working for 3 months to recover from the injury to your spine or neck? Did your grandma have to spend time in the hospital as a result of her fall? Maybe she broke her ankle or wrist when she was trying to break her fall. These are all examples of personal injury that the company could be personally liable for, whether paying for your medical bills or compensating you for your pain and suffering.

So what exactly is a personal injury case? It is holding someone else liable for your financial obligations and or compensation. If the other party is found liable, they will have to pay your damages. The amount awarded is dependent on the accident, what percentage at fault the other party is found and what you are suing for whether just medical expenses or if you are taking it a step further and asking for reimbursement for lost wages.

Unless you are insistent about going to court, oftentimes personal injury lawsuits are taken care of outside of the courtroom. This is not to say that you will not file the lawsuit, but the attorneys on both sides of the case might try to meet and see if a settlement can be reached. This is often to the benefit of the defendant, especially if they are a large company that cannot undergo scrutiny by the media or negative word-of-mouth by anyone.

So how do you know when you have a personal injury lawsuit that will go through the court? Unlike criminal law, the laws for personal injury are a little looser. Most rules have been created by other lawsuits. The only way to know is to talk to a lawyer about your exact situation. Don’t try to embellish the story to make yourself look better though – the truth will come out eventually. Be honest and to the point and you will eventually get what you deserve.