Common Types of Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury law is a very broad umbrella that includes many types of cases. In essence, it can cover any type of injury—physical, emotional, or economical—caused by the neglectful or malicious actions of another. Everything from assault and battery to slips and falls would be included under the umbrella of personal injury law. At The Harr Law Firm, we specialize in handling all types of personal injury cases. Keep reading to learn more about the common types of cases we handle that fall into this area of the law.

Car Accidents

Many people don’t realize that injuries due to a car accident would be considered a personal injury, if that accident occurred due to another driver’s neglect or recklessness. If you’re seriously injured because another driver was speeding, ran a stop sign or red light, or conducted an illegal U-turn, then you were injured due to another person’s choices.

Car accident injury cases, like most personal injury cases, can seek damages for medical bills and physical therapy, loss of income, pain and suffering, and even property damage. Punitive damages are also more likely in a car accident case than in other types of personal injury cases. This type of compensation is awarded to the plaintiff as a means of dissuading the defendant from repeating the actions that caused your injury.

Slip-and-Fall Accidents

Slips and falls can occur to anyone at any time. However, there are instances in which your fall could have been avoided, if not for the actions or inaction of another. For example, if you slip on the sidewalk outside a neighbor’s house because they failed to shovel after the last snowfall, and the walkway became icy, they could be liable for your injuries. Similarly, if a business has a slick floor and does not have a “Wet Floor” sign out to warn you of it, they could be held responsible if you fall and injure yourself.

In order to prove liability in a slip-and-fall case, you must be able to prove that the property owner was in some way neglectful of their duties to maintain the property, and that neglect directly led to your injuries. It’s highly unlikely that a slip-and-fall accident will occur due to malicious intent, and you may find it difficult to pursue compensation for what was clearly unintentional harm. However, please bear in mind that it is just as important to hold people responsible for their inaction and neglect as it is to hold them responsible for deliberate recklessness or malicious actions.

Dog Bites

Many people firmly believe that there are no bad dogs—only bad dog owners. Whether you agree with this statement or not, the fact remains that owners are directly responsible for their pet’s actions. If a dog displays aggressive behaviors that make it a risk to others, the owner is responsible for securing their pet so that it cannot get near other people, and/or muzzling the dog so that they can’t bite anybody. If a dog gets loose and injures you, then the owner should be held liable for the injuries the animal caused.

Being bitten by a dog can not only leave serious physical scars, but can cause trauma and mental scarring as well. It can lead to a lifelong fear of dogs, or even fear of going outside. We take these kinds of mental anguish, pain, and suffering into consideration when determining the amount of compensation you should pursue in your personal injury case.

Defamation of Character

It is not only physical injuries that are covered under personal injury law. Injury to your reputation, and the resulting economic impact, also qualify as an injury to you. In a world where people can publish their every thought online for the general public to see, pinning down genuine defamation of character can be difficult. However, if someone’s false statement is injurious to your reputation, career, or business, you may be able to sue them for defamation of character. We can guide you through the requirements of building a successful case against the person or party who made the false accusations.

If you’ve been injured in any way by another person’s actions, then it’s likely that you could pursue a personal injury case against them. Contact The Harr Law Firm today to schedule a consultation with our experienced personal injury attorneys. We’ll go over the details of the case with you to determine whether or not you have a case with a high chance of success.