When someone is injured or becomes unwell in the United States because of someone else’s negligence, malice or reckless behavior, they may be entitled to monetary compensation for expenses that are the result of their injury. The person, party, or parties that caused the injury may be liable for paying the victim for these expenses.
If you or someone you love has been injured through no fault of their own, it may be time to discuss the possibility of filing a personal injury claim with an attorney that is experienced at successfully defending the rights of victims whose situations were similar to the unfortunate one you are in now.
Personal Injury
When a victim tries to seek compensation from the party that injured them, they will typically do this by filing a personal injury claim in a court in the jurisdiction where the injury occured. If a victim is seeking compensation for an illness or non-injury health problem, it is still referred to as a personal injury claim or injury claim.
A personal injury can be a physical, cognitive or a mental health injury. Any kind of injury, illness or condition that is caused by someone else’s negligence may qualify the victim to make a personal injury claim. Anyone can suffer from a personal injury. It does not matter how young or old a person is, how rich or poor they are, or what sort of lifestyle they lead- an individual can be unexpectedly injured at any time in almost any place.
Physical Injury
A physical injury is one that causes physical pain and/or impairment of one’s physical body. A physical injury’s symptoms can last only a short amount of time or be present throughout a person’s lifetime.
Examples of the results of common physical injuries include but are not limited tp: scrapes, cuts, lacerations, bruises, broken bones, concussions, dislocated shoulders and other limbs, damage to organs, internal bleeding, disfigurement, loss of limbs, loss of physical abilities, spinal cord impairment, brain impairment, developing an illness or condition such as cancer, stroke or heart attack
Cognitive Injury
A cognitive injury or impairment is when a person has trouble concentrating, with their memory, learning new things, and/or making decisions that affect their daily lives. A cognitive injury or impairment can be anywhere from mild to severe. People with mild impairment from a cognitive injury may notice a change in their brain function and abilities but will likely still be able to perform the regular daily tasks they had prior to their injury.
Common symptoms of severe cognitive injuries include but are not limited to: losing the ability to talk, walk, write, and/or understand basic commands and requests
Mental Health Injury
A mental health injury is when a person’s behavioral and/or emotional stability is negatively changed because of something they have experienced.
Examples of symptoms of common mental injuries include but are not limited to: post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and over compulsive disorders (OCD)
If you or someone you care about is suffering from any of the above kinds of injuries, or ones not mentioned here, you may be entitled to compensation if they were caused by another party’s negligent, malicious, or reckless behaviors.
If you or someone you care about has suffered because of an injury, contact a lawyer to discuss your rights to compensation.