So, you have an injury and are wondering if you can make a legal claim for compensation. First, let’s talk about what qualifies as a personal injury.
What is a Personal Injury?
You may be thinking that every injury is personal, and you wouldn’t be wrong. According to Wikipedia, for legal purposes, personal injuries are mental or physical injuries to a person that don’t include property damage. Let’s review what types of personal injuries you can claim for monetary compensation.
Types of Personal Injuries
There are three common types of personal injury claims.
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Road Traffic Accidents
Road traffic accidents can be due to speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, distracted driving, unsafe road infrastructure, and unsafe vehicles. Tiredness and weather can also contribute to accidents.
Work Accidents
Work accidents can happen on the road. If you’re driving a car, small truck, van, or a large truck (18-wheelers and tractor trailers) for your employer and an accident happens, you may be able to claim compensation.
Other types of work accidents are:
- Lifting Accidents
- Equipment and Machinery Accidents
- Slips, Trips, and Falls
- Hand Tool and Power Tool Accidents
- Falls from Heights (Scaffolding, Roofing, Ladders, and Unprotected Falls)
- Construction Site Accidents
- Electrocutions
Tripping Accidents
Slips, trips, and falls can happen on wet floors, defective stairs, or rough patches of ground.
Consider the following questions when making a trip and fall claim: :
- Did the property owner know about the dangerous situation beforehand?
- Have they received complaints from others before your accident?
- Did they try to fix the problem?
- Did they have a Warning Sign?
- Was there difficulty seeing it?
What To Do Next
Step one is to seek medical assistance. You may not realize that you are suffering from an injury. Seeing a doctor can help determine if you have any because some injuries aren’t obvious right away. Depending on where you live, you will have to see a doctor within a certain amount of time, or you won’t be able to make a claim.
Next, contact an attorney. You will want to talk with an experienced, knowledgeable personal injury lawyer. Most will give you a free initial consultation to see if you have a valid personal injury claim.
Third, you will want to participate in the investigation. To do this, remain in contact with your attorney. Listen to what they tell you, and tell them everything they need to know. That way your attorney’s specialists can study the incident and your injuries. This will allow them to find out what happened and who was at fault.
Lastly, discuss with your attorney what kind of compensation you should receive. What you will be compensated for will depend on your injuries and can include:
- Doctor visits
- Medical equipment
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
Remember to consult lawyers for advice, such as car accident lawyers in Kingston. See a doctor, and get help with your personal injury claim.