What Is a Personal Injury Claim? When a person is injured due to another’s negligence, they often move forward with a personal injury claim. It is a way to seek compensation and to establish fault. A plaintiff is the individual who was injured and the defendant is the person who caused harm. The damage could have been deliberate, but in many cases it is recklessness or carelessness that resulted in harm and injury. To start your personal injury claim, contact a Sarasota personal injury lawyer to strategize a course of action. Sometimes settlements can be reached through negotiation; other times a case goes to trial and is decided in court. Once an attorney knows your circumstances, they can best advise you on what path is appropriate. No two cases are alike. Kinds of Injuries that Prompt Claims and Lawsuits There are many types of injuries that result in personal injury claims, including the following:
- Car accidents
- Back and neck injuries
- Work related injuries
- Dog bites
- Burn injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Motorcycle accidents
Even when the injury is not severe, medical expenses can be extremely large. A victim’s insurance likely covers some of the expenses, but when the bills total tens or hundreds of thousands, it can be an amount that is too high for many families. Bills this large are common when hospital stays, ambulance services, and medical scans are involved. There are even situations when an event results in a personal injury claim and a criminal case. If there was illegal behavior, a criminal case could follow. Unlike the criminal case, the personal injury claim is about negligence and compensation, when appropriate.
The Decision to Take a Case to Trial The simplest and shortest path to putting an event behind a victim is to settle out of court. However, avoiding court is not always possible and sometimes it is in the victim’s best interest to go to trial. There are also times when non-financial damages such as pain and suffering are requested and an insurance company is not being cooperative in compensating those damages. A Sarasota personal injury lawyer can evaluate and settle when appropriate or go to court as necessary. Whether a personal injury claim is settled or becomes a personal injury case that goes to trial, the goal is the same: to hold a party accountable when their negligence caused harm to another. After an event causes injury, whether the harm happened due to a car accident or was the result of medical malpractice, a victim should not have to juggle all of the expenses incurred when they should be focusing on their own path to healing. Legal help is available and is often helpful, even when a settlement package is offered. An insurance company or individual who offers a financial award may not be offering the amount a victim is due and justice demands.
Go To Hale Did another’s negligence cause you harm? Are you ready to talk to an attorney about how to file a personal injury claim? The skillful Sarasota attorneys at Hale Law can help. Our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no fees or costs if we are unable to recover compensation. For a free consultation, call at 941-735-4529.
https://halelaw.com/sarasota-pedestrians-and-right-of-way/