Personal injury. You have heard the term used many times. But what does it actually entail? A personal injury is typically some sort of harm that is caused by someone or something. Your mind might automatically think of a car accident, which is certainly a common type of personal injury. However, there are many other ways one can obtain an injury that may require legal assistance in the battle for justice. Let’s take a look at 5 different types of personal injury.
Workman’s Compensation
If you’ve ever had any type of job, you have surely heard of a workman’s compensation injury. These types of personal injuries occur in the workplace, as the name suggests.
Many jobs have safety manuals or guidelines you must follow while on the clock. People who work in factories typically must wear protective eyewear and masks to prevent anything from harming their face. Other places might have rules such as requiring someone else to be present when you’re on a high ladder. If you’re a construction worker, you wear hard hats to protect your head from falling material or other harm. This is to prevent any accidents from happening and to protect yourself and other employees.
If you become injured at work, it would be best to seek the legal assistance of a personal injury attorney. Having an attorney on your side during a workman’s compensation case is beneficial for many reasons. Firstly, they will handle all the paper work and communication with insurance companies. Secondly, your attorney will fight for a satisfying outcome when it comes to your settlement.
Motor Vehicle Accident
Like mentioned above, motor vehicle accidents are a huge type of personal injury. Accidents can cause any sort of injury, from concussions to paralyzation, and even death. Unfortunately, when it comes to vehicle accidents, there is usually a laundry list of expenses. The worse the injury, the longer the tab.
Having an attorney on your side during a vehicle accident would be highly beneficial to you and your loved ones. Experienced attorneys know when insurance companies are not playing fair or may not be giving you their best offers. Injuries obtained in accidents require lots of proof, paperwork, and communication with medical facilities and insurance companies. Your attorney will handle this all so you can focus on recovering.
Slip and Fall
Another type of personal injury is a slip and fall. Slip and fall personal injuries are pretty much what they sound like. You slip and fall in an unsafe place, the fall is not your fault and obtain an injury. For some, this can happen in a public place such as a store. If the floor is wet and the store failed to warn customers with a caution sign, then they will most likely be held accountable for your fall.
Slip and fall cases will typically become associated with the term “premises liability.” This just means that the property owner or company has failed to ensure safety where the accident occurred.
Dog Bites
Another common form of personal injuries are dog bites. This is one of the common types of personal injury. We’ve touched on this topic before, but it can never be said enough. Owning a pet, especially a dog, is a huge responsibility. However, it is also your responsibility as an individual to make sure you use safe practices around animals.
Some safe practices include ensuring your own pet is on a leash. You don’t want to risk your dog attacking another dog or person. Even if your dog is normally well-behaved, their animal instincts can kick in at any moment. You do not want to be liable for your dog biting another human, so keeping them on a leash at all times is important. If you see a person approaching or reaching down to pet your dog, make sure you’re keeping an eye out. Also, never attempt to pet another dog without asking permission. Some dogs do not take well to people they do not know, which leads to attacks.
Often when dogs attack young children, it is because the child has done something to upset the dog. Make sure you never leave your dog and young ones unsupervised together.
Medical Malpractice
Unfortunately, the medical field is no exception to mistakes. When negligence comes from a doctor or other medical professional, you may have a medical malpractice case. Some common forms of medical malpractice include being misdiagnosed or prescribed the wrong medicine. Sometimes these errors might seem small, but the long-term effects could be extremely dangerous. Imagine being told you have a common cold when actually it is a severe case of pneumonia.
If you believe you have experienced medical malpractice, it is important you seek out an attorney to help you. Insurance companies and hospitals will want to be very thorough with all your medical records which can be very confusing when trying to tackle a lawsuit on your own. This is where a personal injury attorney can help.
Gerling Law is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation to individuals and their families. With over 50 years of experience, Gerling Law has helped thousands of people in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in a wide variety of personal injury and consumer protection cases, including trucking accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and social security disability. Gerling Law takes pride in the fact that we have never represented insurance companies, hospitals or large corporations and that we fight against powerful companies for our clients.
If you need an experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyer, Gerling Law is here to help. You can always reach us at 888-GERLING (888-437-5464) or through our website at www.gerlinglaw.com.
