Examples of Common Personal Injury Claims

The term “personal injury” is a legal term to explain any injuries sustained to a person caused by another’s negligence.

This covers both physical and mental injuries. Physical injuries are easier to see, but mental and emotional harm also falls under personal injury legislation.

Some of the most common causes of personal injury are:

Slips and falls – If you slip or fall due to a hazard that was not your fault, you may be able to claim compensation for your injuries.

Auto accidents – Auto accidents are, unfortunately, all too common. There were 159,925 auto crashes recorded in Alabama in 2018, of which 47,419 people sustained injuries. Whether you were injured in a car or commercial truck accident, finding the right legal representation is essential to removing damages for sustained injuries.

Medical malpractice – This encompasses suffering bodily harm as the result of negligence or inappropriate treatment at the hands of a medical professional.

Product liability – Thousands of people are victims of injuries every year due to defective products. Examples being hair loss or burns caused by styling products, electric shocks from faulty electrical items, etc.

Wrongful death – If you’ve lost a family member or loved one in circumstances that could have been avoided, this might be grounds for wrongful death.

Whatever the situation resulted in your injuries, if it wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation. You should always call a lawyer in the event of an accident to have your case assessed.

Examples of Damages You May Be Entitled To Claim

In Alabama, the typical categories for personal injury damages are; economic losses or noneconomic losses. Sometimes also referred to as compensatory and non-compensatory damages.

Essentially, this means you are entitled to claim for losses that have a clear monetary value as well as losses that are not so easily quantified in dollars but are a direct result of the accident.

Economic or Compensatory Damages

Typical examples of economic losses you may be able to file a claim for include:

Medical Expenses

If your injury required medical attention, you would have incurred some expenses. You can claim medical bills, travel to appointments, medications, etc.

Lost Wages

If you’ve had to take time off work due to your injuries, you’re entitled to compensation for the wages you lost as a result.

This can extend to claiming damages for having to change your job due to a new disability or not being able to work for the foreseeable future.

Property Damage

You’re entitled to compensation for any property damaged in the accident. This can range from ripped clothing to vehicle damage in the case of a car accident.

Noneconomic or Non- Compensatory Damages

Noneconomic damages are harder to put a monetary value on. However, they’re still damages that resulted from an accident that was someone else’s fault.

Typical examples of noneconomic losses you may be able to file a claim for include:

Mental or Emotional Distress

Involvement in an accident doesn’t just leave physical scars. For many, there will be mental or emotional scars.

Many victims have to deal with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental illnesses as a result of their accident.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering related to the pain and the general impact the injuries have had on your life. The physical injuries will heal, but it doesn’t always tell the whole story behind the difficulties you’ve had as a result.

Disabilities or Disfigurement

If your injuries are inflicting permanent and damaging repercussions to your life, you may be entitled to additional compensation. This usually means suffering some disability or disfigurement.

Punitive Damages

Under Alabama law, you may also be eligible to receive punitive damages under certain circumstances.

However, punitive damages do not exist for the goal of compensating you for any losses. Instead, they are damages intended to punish the defendant for their negligent behavior.

The most common example is a drunk driver with previous DUIs. The court may try to punish their repeat behavior by ordering them to pay punitive damages to you.

However, it is worth noting that it is not entirely common to receive punitive damages. Your best chance of being awarded any is to work with an experienced Alabama personal injury attorney.

Act Today To Avoid Missing Out

Under Alabama law, you have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. If you fail to do so, you will not be eligible to file a claim due to the statute of limitations on personal injury claims.

This may sound like a long time, but there’s a lot of work that goes into filing a personal injury lawsuit if you want to secure the best possible outcome.

For this reason, we advise you to call our offices as soon as you can after sustaining an injury. This will enable us to open a file and collect all the information we need in a timely manner.

Arrange a Free Consultation

Without the support of and experience of an Alabama personal injury attorney, you risk receiving a much lower sum of damages than you’re entitled to.

Warren Freeman, Attorney at Law, has been representing victims of personal injuries in the state of Alabama for more than 20 years. Warren Freeman always ready to passionately fight for his clients’ rights and prepared to assist them in seeking the maximum possible amount of damages.

You don’t have to fight the legal battle for compensation alone. Call the office of Warren Freeman Attorney at Law today at (256) 253-3169 or contact us here to find out how we can help.