3 Facts To Better Understand Personal Injury From A Legal Standpoint
Personal injury cases are heard in courtrooms across the country each day. While personal injury cases are typically not foreign to the average person, a complete understanding of the legal ins and outs of a personal injury case can be more difficult to come by.
Here are three facts that you can use to better understand personal injury cases from a legal standpoint.
1. Many Incidents Can Be Classified as Personal Injuries
It's important to recognize that there are multiple types of incidents that can serve as cause for a personal injury case. Car accidents are among the most common, but any incident caused by another's negligence that results in harm can become the subject of a personal injury lawsuit.
Some of the lesser known personal injury incidents include production liability, medical malpractice, dog bites, and wrongful death.
An experienced attorney can help you evaluate the circumstances of your injury to determine if a personal injury lawsuit is in your best interest.
2. Personal Injury Actions Can Be Criminal
Personal injury lawsuits are civil matters. However, the same incident that serves as the cause for the personal injury case can also be the cause of a criminal investigation. The law defines some negligent actions as being criminal in nature.
A great example of one such action is driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Injuries sustained in an accident caused by a DUI can fuel cases in both a civil and criminal court. The civil action will be handled by your personal attorney. Any resulting criminal charges will be levied by a government prosecutor.
3. Non-Monetary Damages Can Be Claimed
Most people think about recovering the cost of their medical expenses and lost wages when filing a personal injury case. While these monetary damages are certainly included in all personal injury lawsuits, there are some non-monetary damages that can be claimed as well.
Pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and mental anguish are all negative consequences of being injured in an accident.
Your attorney can work with you to help assign a monetary value to these non-monetary damages so that you can be compensated for them in court.
Personal injury cases are often nuanced and difficult to prosecute. Be sure that you understand personal injury from a legal standpoint and work with an experienced attorney to improve your chances of winning a personal injury case in the future.
If you have additional questions, contact a local personal injury lawyer.