Common Types of Personal Injury Cases

​A personal injury lawyer is a legal professional who assists clients after they have experienced a qualifying injury or accident, that is, one in which they were injured as a result of another’s negligence. Personal injury lawyers work to provide clients with compensation to help cover medical expenses, loss of salary, and other associated costs. Legal professionals working in the field of personal injury law must be knowledgeable of a range of incidents that lead to a qualifying injury.

Car accidents rank among the most common personal injury cases in the United States. American drivers are involved in just over 6 million automobile accidents each year, which resulted in 42,514 fatalities in 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Passengers involved in car accidents may experience a wide range of injuries, from minor cuts and bruises to life-threatening internal injuries, in addition to spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and damage to soft tissue.

Whiplash is one of the more complicated injuries associated with car accidents, especially from a legal perspective. The Mayo Clinic describes whiplash as a neck injury resulting from sudden, rapid back and forth movements of the head or body. Whiplash may initially be diagnosed as general soreness following an accident, but pain and stiffness can increase over time, diminishing a person's range of motion and causing persistent headaches, plus pain and numbness in the arms. Individuals can find it hard to complete daily activities or maintain employment while living with whiplash, particularly if they develop more severe symptoms, which range from memory problems to depression.

Slip and fall injuries represent another type of accident commonly handled by personal injury attorneys. As the name suggests, a slip and fall injury results from a person falling, possibly due to a slippery or otherwise unsafe surface. If the owner of the property has not taken appropriate steps to minimize the chances of such an injury, they may be found liable during a personal injury trial.

While slip and fall cases may sound trivial compared to car accidents, more than 1 million Americans require treatment from emergency rooms due to slip and fall injuries each year. Injuries can be severe and debilitating, such as a broken hip, and the average medical costs associated with treatment can run between $30,000 and $40,000. When negligence is involved, personal injury lawyers can help clients mitigate these costs.

The U.S. justice system has seen numerous high-profile product liability cases over the years, another common example of personal injury law. Notable cases have involved Philip Morris tobacco products, various automobile parts from major brands like General Motors, Co., and Dow Corning's line of silicone breast implants. To win a product liability case, a personal injury attorney must prove that the product is defective in some way, has breached a stated warranty, or failed to adequately warn users of potential dangers, even if those dangers are only relevant when misusing the product.

In addition, personal injury lawyers regularly assist clients dealing with injuries and expenses resulting from dog bites. Canines are extremely common in the US, with 65.1 million households featuring at least one dog. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, though only about 20 percent of those bites require medical attention. That said, severe bites may result in puncture wounds or fractured bones, not to mention any psychological issues that might stem from the incident, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

These are only a few examples of cases managed by personal injury lawyers. Other personal injury cases include elder and nursing home abuse, medical malpractice, and car accidents involving pedestrians.

Benjamin and Shapiro Ltd

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