Suffering from a personal injury can dramatically change your life. Some personal injuries may even lead to death, leaving the victim’s family to figure out the details. When someone is reckless, negligent, or careless, it has a domino effect, and others can be hurt.
Justice should be served, and there is an opportunity for recovery in these situations. Count on a personal injury lawyer in Fort Wayne to help you when you or a loved one are facing the aftermath of a personal injury.
Personal Injury Law Explained
Personal injury law is also known as tort law. This type of law is designed to protect one person from another in the case of something that they did or failed to do. When the action or inaction of one person causes harm to you or your property, you have rights to compensation.
There are stipulations and requirements for this as well.
Personal Injury Claims
There are two parts of a personal injury claim: damages and responsibility. This is true whether the tort claim is from intentional harm, negligence, or strict liability. In these cases, damages and liability may have to be proven, but a claim typically results in compensation for the injuries.
Negligence Claims
The majority of personal injury claims are negligence-based. In some cases, it’s an auto collision where a driver was negligent. In others, it may be a slip or a fall due to some sort of negligence. There is a wide range of what can be determined as negligent, and any injury caused because someone was negligent in some way could qualify for a claim.
Negligence claims have the burden of proof for showing that someone violated an obligation, leading to the injury. Both economic and non-economic damages are incurred from said negligence.
In a negligence claim, you may be eligible for compensation related to the injury itself, medical treatments and bills, loss of wages, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma.
Medical Malpractice Claims
Medical malpractice claims are another form of personal injury. In a medical malpractice suit, there must be clear indicators that a medical practitioner was negligent in their actions. Medical practitioners can include nurses, doctors, dentists, hospital workers, technicians, and more.
Malpractice occurs when this medical practitioner executes duties in a manner that deviates from standards of practice, leading to harm to a patient or patients because of it.
Product Liability Claims
In most states, product liability is strict. This liability is held against manufacturers who can be shown to distribute defective products, leading to harm to a buyer or individual who uses said products.
There is no burden of proof that a product was defective, only that the product was responsible for harm when used properly. Strict liability will help to take action against the designers, manufacturers, and sellers of this product.
Common Causes of Personal Injury in Fort Wayne, Indiana
There can be any number of reasons for personal injuries in Indiana. However, the most common culprit is car accidents.
Using a personal injury lawyer is the best way to seek the help that you need.
Car Accident Personal Injury
Did you know that Indiana sees more than 40,000 car accident injuries every single year? That is just the accidents that lead to personal injuries! A few of these accidents happen in work zones, but the vast majority of them are directly related to speeding vehicles.
Semi Accident Personal Injury
Semi accidents are one of the more common types of accidents that occur in Indiana. In one year, the state recorded close to 17,000 accidents from commercial vehicles alone. Commercial vehicles include semis, pickups, buses, combination vehicles, school buses, and other similar vehicles.
Bicycle Accident Personal Injury
In Indiana, a lot of people ride their bicycles, but this too can lead to a personal injury. Some drivers simply don’t pay enough attention, leading to injuries for bike riders. Sometimes, these incidents occur even in designated bike lanes. When that is the case, negligence is very clearly involved.
Working Through a Personal Injury Claim
When you or someone you know faces a personal injury related to the negligence of another party, you should work with a lawyer to file a claim. They can help you throughout the entire process, including investigating, establishing damages, and more.
You will work closely with the lawyer so that they fully understand your situation and can act on your behalf for the best outcome.
Damages are established based on both economic and non-economic damages. This may include loss of wages, costs of medical bills and expenses, and other viable costs.
If you or a loved one faces personal injury after any event with negligence by another party, contact a personal injury lawyer in Fort Wayne right away. They can help you file a claim and work through the process for compensation.
