What exactly is personal injury law? You’ve no doubt heard of personal injury (PI) lawyers, but you’re not quite sure what they do exactly. Here’s the scoop!
What Is a Personal Injury?
The American Bar Association (ABA) defines it as the following: “Personal injury law, also known as tort law, is designed to protect you if you or your property is injured or harmed because of someone else’s act or failure to act. In a successful tort action, the one who caused the injury or harm compensates the one who suffered the losses.” The compensation is known as damages and is intended to restore the injured party to pre-injured state as if the accident had not occurred
Personal Injury Law Covers the Following Types of Cases:
- Bicycle Accidents
- Boating Accidents
- Burn Injuries
- Bus Accidents
- Car Accidents*
- Catastrophic Injuries
- Dog Bites and Attacks
- Drunk Driving
- Freeway Accidents
- Hit and Runs
- Immigration
- Medical Malpractice*
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Product Liability*
- Slip-and-Fall Accidents*
- Trip-and-Fall Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Wrongful Death*
- And more
*Indicates that this is one of the top five most common types of personal injury cases.
There Are Two Main Types of PI Damages Awarded to the Injured Party (Plaintiff):
Compensatory Damages: Includes economic and non-economic damages. This may include medical / hospital bills, rehabilitation and other medical treatment, medical equipment, medications, and transportation to and from medical appointments, as well as additional expenses. Loss of income and future ability to earn is also compensated for under this type of personal injury damages award.
It also includes non-monetary damages such as emotional distress, loss of consortium, loss of opportunity, inconvenience, and loss of enjoyment in life.
Punitive Damages: Also called exemplary damages, this is awarded to provide an incentive to the defendant to ensure that the same situation that caused the accident does not happen again. Punitive damages may be awarded to a plaintiff in addition to compensatory damages to punish the defendant and set an example to the public in the event of gross negligence.
To Learn More About Personal Injury Law or to Hire an Experienced PI Attorney, Turn to SEM Law Group Law
If you want to ensure you’re properly compensation for your injuries after an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you need a skilled attorney on your side. You can find personal injury lawyers in Boca Raton right here at SEM Law Group Law! Contact us today at 561-939-8042 and put us to work for you!
