Where Can I Get Help With My Personal Injury Case?

A personal injury case is a legal process that involves a plaintiff taking legal action against a defendant for committing one or more acts of negligence. If a defendant committed one or more acts on purpose, then the plaintiff has the right to file a civil lawsuit for gross negligence.

A majority of personal injury cases settle out of court before the beginning of a trial. If both parties cannot reach a settlement, then one or both attorneys representing their clients can request the case to go to arbitration or mediation. Both legal procedures are considered the middle legal ground between a settlement and a civil trial.

Personal injury cases cover a wide variety of incidents from premise liability to workplace accidents. Some personal injury cases produce minimal monetary damages, while other types of cases generate awards that exceed $1 million.

One of the most important elements of a personal injury case is to know the statute limitations for filing a claim in your state.

When it comes to an attorney, answering the question, “Where can I get help with my personal injury case,” it depends on the type of personal injury claim that you plan to file. Personal injury law covers a wide variety of cases, which means an attorney should specialize in your type of personal injury case.
Let’s review the most common types of personal injury cases.

Auto Accidents

Auto collisions sit at the top of the list of the most common types of personal injury cases. The judicial system can hold a careless driver responsible for producing the injuries that resulted from a car crash. Camera footage from the scene of an auto accident might demonstrate careless driving, especially if the incident took place at a busy intersection.

Local, state, and federal transportation agencies also can be held legally liable for a car accident. Poor road maintenance, lack of warning signs, and not enough lighting can be the causes of an auto collision that a government agency must answer for in a courtroom.

Medical Malpractice

Healthcare providers that make critical mistakes can be held legally liable for negligence in medical malpractice cases. Incorrect diagnostic tests, surgical errors, and prescribing the wrong medications are just a few examples of medical malpractice cases. Healthcare providers must provide a minimum standard of care and when they fall below the minimum standard of care, then they can be held accountable for negligence.

Slip and Falls

A slip and fall incident can happen just about anywhere, although they unfold most often in hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores. Businesses have the legal obligation to maintain a reasonably safe and hazard-free place for consumers to shop. Beverage stations located in convenience stores are a common source of slip and fall incidents.

Security camera footage might detect the cause of a slip and fall incident, as well as witnesses that saw what happened before, during, and after a slip and fall.

Dog Bites

Man’s best friend can turn on you without any notice. In most states, dog owners shoulder the legal burden of a canine biting another person. Some states apply strict liability statutes to dog bite cases, which means dog owners assume responsibility for a dog bite incident even if the dog has never demonstrated aggressive behavior or a tendency to bite other people.

Product Liability

Product liability cases have become one of the most publicized types of personal injury cases. For example, the Monsanto class action lawsuit settlements for the company’s weed killer Roundup made national news for several months in a row. Manufacturers of consumer products assume legal blame for designing, constructing, and selling dangerous and defective products.

Another example of a product liability case concerns Johnson & Johnson’s Talc Baby Powder. The filing of more than 20,000 individual lawsuits eventually led to financial awards for plaintiffs that topped $325 million.

The most important reason for getting help with your personal injury case is to receive monetary damages. There are two broad categories of monetary damages: compensatory and punitive. Compensatory damages break down into two sub-categories.

Special compensatory damages represent a financial award that addresses several types of grievances. Typically the costliest type of compensatory damages, payment for medical expenses covers the cost of diagnostic tests, treatment programs, physical therapy, and prescription medications. Keeping and organizing the receipts for your medical expenses should help your personal injury claim. Special compensatory damages also cover property damage and loss of income.

Considered a non-economic award, general compensatory damages do not come with a price tag. Suffering one or more injuries that were caused by negligence can trigger mental anguish and emotional distress, both of which fall under the legal category called pain and suffering. If an incident caused a wrongful death, the plaintiff has the right to recover general compensatory damages for a legal term called loss of companionship.

Punitive damages penalize a defendant for committing one or more acts of negligence. In the product liability examples we discussed above, both Monsanto and Johnson & Johnson paid a considerable amount of money in punitive damages. You can seek punitive damages for any type of personal injury case as long as you present persuasive evidence that proves the defendant committed one or more acts of negligence.

Working with a personal injury lawyer gives you the final answer to the question, “Where can I get help for my personal injury case.” The next question to answer is ‘What should I look for in a personal injury attorney.”

Experience Winning Personal Injury Cases

You can expect to hear a lot about experience when it comes to choosing the right personal injury lawyer. However, experience is much more than the years of providing legal services mentioned on an attorney’s resume. You want to work with a personal injury lawyer that has won an overwhelming number of cases for clients.

At Morgan & Morgan, we have successfully litigated personal injury cases for more than 30 years.

Handles Your Case From Start to Finish

When a quarterback hands the ball off to a running back, the quarterback no longer is responsible for protecting the ball. When an attorney hands off a personal injury case to a clerk, paralegal, or inexperienced litigator, the attorney has abdicated responsibility for handling your case.
You want to work with a highly-rated personal injury lawyer who manages your case during every step of the litigation and insurance claim process.

Responsive Communicator

Yes, you want to hire a personal injury attorney who knows how to communicate effectively inside a courtroom. However, it is just as important for your legal counsel to be responsive when it comes to communicating with you. Your lawyer should return emails, text messages, and phone calls in a timely manner. Answering your questions and responding to your concerns promptly can alleviate some of the stress that comes with going through a personal injury trial.

Lets You Speak with Former Clients

Online reviews and website testimonials provide you with insight into an attorney’s legal skill set and accomplishments. Speaking with former clients in person should erase any doubts you might have about the claims made by a personal injury lawyer. Any attorney on your shortlist of candidates must allow you to speak with former clients.

A personal injury incident can leave you shaken, so much that you neglect to act with a sense of urgency by filing an insurance claim and a civil lawsuit. When you contact a personal injury lawyer at Morgan & Morgan, you will get scheduled for a free case evaluation. During the free case evaluation, we will examine the evidence that you have gathered and organized, as well as answer all of your questions.

The clock is ticking for your personal injury case. Initiate legal action today by scheduling a free case evaluation with Morgan & Morgan.