Types of Personal Injury Cases

We don’t wake up in the morning expecting the day to include an accident caused by someone’s negligence to leave us with severe injuries. But these types of accidents happen every day.

You need to understand your legal rights to pursue compensation when they do. While money cannot solve everything, it can provide crucial financial assistance for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

The following are some of the most common types of personal injury cases. Whatever type of accident you had, Nix Patterson’s personal injury attorneys can review your case and determine if you could obtain compensation for your damages.

Auto Crashes

Car accidents are the most common kind of personal injury case, with at least 6 million auto accidents in the U.S. annually, leading to approximately 40,000 deaths and 3 million injuries.

If you were injured by another driver in an auto accident, you could have broken bones, cuts and scrapes, neck and back injuries, internal injuries, and more. Auto accidents also frequently involve tractor-trailers, motorcycles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other commercial vehicles.

In most states, the liable driver’s insurance provider must pay for your damages. If you live in a no–fault state, your auto insurance will likely pay for the first few thousand dollars of medical bills and lost earnings. But you can usually file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver if you have additional losses. Also, if you lost your loved one in an auto accident caused by another party, you could receive compensation in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Truck Crashes

All motor vehicle accidents can be serious, but truck accidents can be among the most severe and often fatal. Tractor-trailers weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded, and if one slams into a passenger vehicle, the resulting injuries can be catastrophic. If you were injured in a truck crash, you can expect the insurance company to undervalue your case, so you should always hire a truck crash personal injury attorney to represent you. Trucking companies have aggressive insurance companies and attorneys who want to pay you as little as possible, and they might even try to blame you for the accident. But Nix Patterson will hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions.

Workplace Accident

Workplace accidents comprise many of the country’s annual personal injury claims. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that private US employers report 5,000 fatal work-related accidents and millions of work-related injuries every year.

Among the most common workplace injuries are slips, trips, and falls. Employers and property owners must have safe conditions for employees and patrons. If the employer fails to address unsafe conditions, such as broken sidewalks, slippery floors, cluttered work areas, or poor lighting, they could be liable for a personal injury claim.

Premises Liability

If you have an accident on someone else’s property and suffer an injury, this is a potential premises liability case. For example, if you slip and fall on steps in a rental property, the owner could be liable for your injuries if there was a defect that the owner was or should have been aware of. Swimming pool injuries in residences and rental properties are another common cause of premises liability claims.

You also could have a premises liability case if the injury occurs in a place of business, such as a grocery store or a store parking lot.

Product Liability or Defect

A product liability case happens when a product is dangerous and defective to consumers, leading to harm and personal injuries. The seller, designer, or manufacturer could be liable if a product leads to injuries and other damages. Products in the U.S. must warn of possible hazards; if there is a failure to warn, you could be entitled to compensation.

Oil Field Injuries

Oil and gas work is hazardous, with employees routinely working around dangerous chemicals and heavy machinery. This is a dangerous industry, and oil and gas field injuries occur often, with some being fatal. Whether you are a roughneck, roustabout, derrickhand, or other type of field worker, you could be entitled to compensation for an oilfield injury.

Toxic Torts

A toxic tort is a legal claim involving a personal injury, economic injury, or property damage due to being exposed to chemicals, pesticides, lead-based paint, etc. For example, Nix Patterson has a successful history of handling cases involving silica and asbestos exposure. If you or a loved one has been exposed to a dangerous chemical or substance and suffered harm, Nix Patterson’s toxic tort attorneys can help.

Dog Bites

Dog bites and related animal attacks are common reasons for personal injury claims. When a dog or other animal attacks or injures you, the owner can usually be held liable for the harm. The CDC reports about 4.5 million dog bites in the U.S. annually, most of which happen to children between five and nine. Common types of dog bite personal injuries are:

• Abrasions, puncture wounds, and lacerations from dog bites and scratches. If they are not treated quickly, infection can set in.
• Broken bones from the animal knocking down the victim. Dogs of many sizes can easily knock down a child or adult. The most common types are broken wrists, ankles, arms, and head injuries.
• Facial scarring and disfigurement from severe dog bites. These might leave lasting physical and psychological impacts.
• Rabies and other diseases that may be transmitted by saliva. Any animal bite should be immediately checked for potential rabies exposure.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice is another typical personal injury case in the United States. A medical malpractice claim can arise when someone is harmed by a medical professional’s improper treatment or negligence. These are complex cases that require the assistance of an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to determine if the medical professional or facility was negligent.

Some of the most frequent types of medical malpractice personal injury cases involve:

• Diagnosis and treatment errors
• Surgical mistakes, such as operating on the wrong body part or leaving medical devices in the wound
• Not obtaining informed consent
• Prescription errors

Catastrophic Injuries

Most personal injuries are traumatic and involve physical and sometimes emotional injury. However, some accidents are so severe that the victim is saddled with long-term and sometimes permanent injuries. These are catastrophic injuries that affect how you move, live and enjoy life, work, and more.

Catastrophic injuries may include burn injuries, paralysis, severe head injuries, amputations, and crush injuries, among others. Nix Patterson has a team of excellent catastrophic injury lawyers with decades of experience and may be able to help if you have suffered serious harm.

Sexual Abuse

It is an unfortunate fact that some children and young adults are sexually abused in their religious houses of worship. Sometimes this abuse is perpetuated by the people they trust. It is horrifying to contemplate religious workers sexually abusing minors, but it happens far too often.

Nix Patterson’s sexual abuse attorneys are ready to help if you or a loved one suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a preacher, pastor, evangelist, youth minister, church elder, or deacon.

Wrongful Death

If you lost your loved one in an accident caused by another person’s negligence, you could have a wrongful death case. If your case qualifies, Nix Patterson’s wrongful death attorneys could obtain compensation for your losses, including burial costs, loss of income, loss of inheritance, your loved one’s pain and suffering, and more.

Damages Available in Personal Injury Cases

Two types of significant damages are available in a personal injury case where another party is proven negligent. They are:

Economic Damages

Economic damages in your personal injury case will compensate you for the financial losses you incurred from the accident. Suppose you are in a rear-end car accident and you broke your arm and wrist. Some of the economic damages could include doctor’s visits, ER visits, surgeries, prescriptions, mobility equipment, and physical therapy.

In a personal injury claim, your personal injury attorney will likely seek compensation for your past, current, and future medical expenses. In the case of a severe injury, it’s essential to have medical experts on your case to show the insurance company how long your recovery will be. It may be best to delay settlement negotiations until you recover from a severe injury. If the case is settled too soon and you need more money, the case cannot be reopened.

Loss of Income

Under state personal injury laws, you also have the right to obtain compensation for lost income or future income related to your injuries. For example, you could lose weeks or months of income if you cannot walk because of your auto accident injuries. Or, you may have to make less money because you have to work part–time or move to light duty. You also may receive money for lost future earning capacity if you have severe injuries that affect your ability to return to work.

Property Damage

You also can get compensation in a personal injury claim for personal property damages, such as damages to your vehicle. If the car is too damaged to be repaired, you could receive a total loss settlement from the insurance company.

Economic damages are determined by adding all relevant invoices, receipts, and bills. Your attorney will rely on income statements, pay stubs, and tax returns for lost wages.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages, including the physical and mental pain and discomfort you experience, cannot be easily calculated. Common types of non-economic damages are:

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering is the most common type of non-economic damages and refers to the emotional suffering and physical pain you experience from medical treatments and injuries. For example, if you need surgery for a broken leg from a car accident, you will probably be paid for pain and suffering for your recovery.

Loss of Quality of Life

You may be entitled to money for loss of quality of life for disfigurement, disabilities, and lowered life expectancy related to the injuries.

Non-economic damages are calculated in several ways. First, the insurance company may use the multiplier method, assigning a number between 1 and 5 to your economic damages and multiplying that number to get the pain and suffering amount.

Another option is to assign a per diem amount for your pain and suffering. That number is multiplied by the days you experienced losses to arrive at a pain and compensation amount.

Contact Nix Patterson’s Personal Injury Attorneys Today

Were you injured in a car accident, truck crash, or because of a defective product or a slip and fall? If another party’s negligence contributed to the accident, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries and other losses.

Nix Patterson’s personal injury attorneys have the legal skills and experience necessary to aggressively pursue justice. Contact us today for a complimentary case review.