The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that some 38 million people visited the emergency room for injury-related accidents throughout the US in 2020. An injury from a severe accident can cause physical, mental, and emotional harm for which victims are entitled to pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.
However, navigating the legal system can be challenging. For this reason, it is important to hire a skilled personal injury attorney who can seek the best outcome for your case.
Personal injury lawyers handle cases related to injuries caused by the negligence, recklessness, or intentional acts of another party. This article discusses some of the various types of cases that personal injury lawyers handle.
Car Accidents
Most personal injury lawyers handle motor vehicle accident cases. The majority of car accidents are caused by human error and driver negligence.
The most common types of car accident cases are:
- Head-on collisions
- Rear-end collisions
- T-bones
- Rollovers
- Multi-car collisions
- Taxi accidents
- Rideshare accidents
Car accident injuries can range from minor scrapes and bruises to spinal cord damage or other life-altering injuries.
Different types of car accidents require knowledge of different aspects of the law. Not all personal injury attorneys handle every kind of motor vehicle accident, so you must consult with a lawyer who is knowledgeable in the particular type of accident you were involved in.
Truck Accidents
When a tractor-trailer or another large truck collides with a passenger vehicle, those in the smaller vehicle typically suffer the most. The truck driver may walk away unharmed, while those in the passenger vehicle could be facing catastrophic injuries.
The following parties may be held liable for truck accidents:
- Truck drivers
- Trucking companies
- Cargo loaders
- Mechanics
- Truck or parts manufacturers
- Government agencies
When people are severely injured in a truck accident, it could take them weeks or months to recover. A personal injury lawyer can help trucking accident victims file a claim or lawsuit to hold all liable parties accountable.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycles do not provide riders with the safety features that are standard in a passenger vehicle. Motorcycle accident victims are not likely to walk away unscathed, even when the impact was made at a low speed.
Common causes of motorcycle accidents are:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Drunk driving
- Reckless driving
- Defective motorcycle parts
- Poor road maintenance
Insurance companies are often quick to blame motorcyclists in the event of an accident. However, the other driver or a third party is to blame in many situations. A personal injury attorney will thoroughly investigate the cause of your accident and determine who is liable.
Pedestrian Accidents
When a pedestrian is hit by a motor vehicle, the results are often devastating. It is not uncommon for victims of collisions to sustain severe injuries that leave them with long-term health complications or disabilities.
When pedestrians are injured in an accident, one or more of the following factors is typically to blame:
- Distracted driving
- Poorly marked crosswalk
- Drunk driving
- Drowsy drivers
- Poor visibility
- Unsafe turns
While investigating your pedestrian accident case, your personal injury lawyer may discover that more than one party is responsible for your injuries. For example, if another pedestrian was walking while distracted and pushed you into traffic, that pedestrian and the driver of the motor vehicle that hit you could both be liable.
Bicycle Accidents
Another type of case that personal injury lawyers handle is bicycle accidents. Generally, cyclists have the right to share the roadway with drivers. Unfortunately, some motorists do not remember to watch out for bicycle riders.
An attorney may be able to help you recover compensation for bicycle accident injuries such as:
- Broken bones
- Eye injuries
- Lacerations
- Head injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
A lawyer can help you file a personal injury claim against all liable parties if you were involved in a bicycle accident.
Medical Malpractice
When you visit a doctor, you trust that he or she will provide you with a high standard of care. Unfortunately, medical professionals sometimes make poor decisions and their patients are harmed as a result. When patients are harmed due to medical negligence, they are entitled to file a medical malpractice claim.
A personal injury lawyer may be able to help you with the following types of medical malpractice cases and more:
- Failure to diagnose
- Surgical errors
- Prescription drug errors
- Anesthesia errors
- Incorrect diagnosis
- Birth injuries
Parties who you can file a medical malpractice claim against include doctors, nurses, chiropractors, radiologists, hospitals, and others.
Defective Medical Devices
Companies that manufacture and sell medical devices have a legal obligation to ensure that these products are safe. When medical devices are defective, they can harm the very people they were created to help.
A personal injury lawyer will typically base a defective medical device case on one of these factors:
- Manufacturing defects
- Defective design
- Marketing defects
- Failure to warn
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a defective medical device, filing a personal injury claim against the manufacturer not only means pursuing justice for you and your family – it’s also one way to help ensure defective devices are removed from the market.
Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home facilities have an obligation to provide the elderly and disabled with a high level of care. Sadly, many long-term care facilities are understaffed, mismanaged, or run by people who put profits ahead of people. The tragic result is that many nursing home residents find themselves becoming victims of neglect or abuse.
Nursing home abuse can come in various forms, such as:
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Financial abuse
- Neglect
- Sexual abuse
Victims of nursing home negligence and their families can turn to personal injury lawyers to help them file claims against negligent facilities and staff members.
Slip-and-Fall Accidents
When a person slips and falls, he or she might be embarrassed and try to avoid drawing attention to themselves by informing the property owner of the accident. Nevertheless, slip-and-fall accident victims should not allow property owners to get away with negligence.
Common causes of slip-and-fall accidents are:
- Broken stairs or handrails
- Loose mats, floor boards, or carpeting
- Failure to remove ice or snow
- Defective escalators or elevators
- Dim or poor lighting
- Uneven flooring
- Loose wires or cables
- Debris or clutter
A slip-and-fall can constitute a premises liability claim. Premises liability laws apply to private homeowners, businesses, venues, and government-owned property.
Swimming Pool and Drowning Accidents
Due to the risks involved in swimming, homeowners, hotels, public swimming areas, water parks, and other pool property owners are required to adhere to safety guidelines. Depending on the location of the pool, some safety measures could involve providing fences and gates, supervision, pool coverings, and other safety features.
The following are some types of accidents and injuries involving pools:
- Drowning
- Slip-and-falls
- Near-drowning
- Diving accidents
- Drain injuries
If a property owner failed to keep his or her pool area safe and you or a loved one were harmed, a personal injury lawyer may be able to help you file a claim or lawsuit.
Dog Bites
Dog bites and other animal attacks are another type of premises liability claim that personal injury lawyers handle. While some dog bites are minor, others inflict serious injuries. Tragically, many victims of animal attacks are children.
You could recover compensation for the following dog bite injuries:
- Puncture wounds
- Lacerations
- Broken bones
- Arm, leg, hand, and foot injuries
- Head injuries
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Mental and emotional trauma
Compensation in dog bite cases is sometimes paid out-of-pocket by the owner of the animal. In other situations, the owner of the pet may have the claim paid out through his or her homeowner’s insurance policy.
Workplace Injuries
Employees who are injured on the job are usually eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. A personal injury lawyer can help you navigate the complex process of obtaining workers’ comp.
You may be entitled to recover compensation for the following workplace accidents:
- Slip-and-falls
- Struck by an object accidents
- Overexertion
- Exposure to mold or toxic chemicals
- Fires and explosions
- Electrocution
- Acts of workplace violence
- Building collapse
- Repetitive motion injuries
In situations where workers’ comp does not fully cover your medical bills and other losses, or when multiple parties share liability for your injury, a personal injury lawyer could help you file a claim to recover additional compensation.
Construction Accidents
Despite the laws and regulations that are in place to ensure that construction sites are safe places to work, many construction workers and innocent passersby are injured and killed every year.
Personal injury lawyers handle all types of construction accident cases, which can involve:
- Dangerous tools and machinery
- Falling objects
- Crane accidents
- Forklift accidents
- Electrocution and electric shock
- Fires and explosions
- Falls from scaffolding and ladders
- Welding accidents
Whether you were harmed while working, visiting, or walking past a construction site, you should not have to pay the price of someone else’s negligence. A personal injury lawyer can review your case and determine whether you have a valid claim to financial compensation.
Defective Products
Designers, manufacturers, and distributors of consumer goods have a duty to provide safe products. When products are defective, or lack adequate instructions or warnings, people can be harmed.
Examples of products that can cause harm if defective include:
- Children’s products
- Vehicles and auto parts
- Chemicals and cleaning products
- Household appliances
- Equipment and machinery
- Contaminated food
Product liability claims can be complicated and difficult to prove. An experienced personal injury lawyer, though, is able to investigate, can hire experts, and will know what is needed to prove the defendant caused your injuries.
Wrongful Death
A wrongful death happens when someone loses his or her life because of the negligence or wrongdoing of someone else. The person or entity that caused the death could be held financially liable for the damages the surviving family members suffered from losing their loved one.
Some of the most common causes of wrongful death claims are:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Medical negligence
- Workplace accidents
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Defective products
Whoever is able to file a wrongful death claim depends on the laws of the state where you reside. A personal injury lawyer will be able to tell you the specific laws that apply to your wrongful death claim.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer to Schedule a Free Case Consultation
Personal injury law allows accident victims to pursue justice and financial compensation when someone else causes them physical, emotional, or mental harm. If you were harmed due to someone else’s actions, you want to hire a personal injury lawyer who has experience in handling your specific type of personal injury case.
Personal injury accident victims have the right to seek compensation for their physical injuries and emotional pain and suffering. It is important to have an experienced and well-established personal injury law firm on your side that will protect your best interests.
Kiley Law Group takes personal injury claims on contingency. This means you do not pay any upfront costs or fees. We only get paid if your case is successful and you are awarded money.
Our law firm has been successfully handling personal injury cases for over 40 years, during which we have helped our clients recover over $1 billion in compensation. Call us 24/7 at 888-437-2584 or complete the contact form here on our website.
