Personal Injury, General - An Overview

Personal injury lawsuits arise, as the name implies, when someone is injured. The underlying injury may either be physical or emotional, and it can arise from a variety of sources or types of conduct. Some of the most common types of personal injuries that give rise to legal liability on the part of the wrongdoer include slip and fall cases, automobile accident cases, assaults and batteries, medical malpractice actions, and products liability lawsuits. The general goal of personal injury actions is to assign blame-or liability-for the injury to the parties whose actions caused it and to require them to compensate the injured person for the losses sustained. If you or someone you know has been injured by the actions of another, it is essential that you seek legal counsel from an experienced personal injury attorney at once so that you can preserve your rights and protect your future.

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Personal Injury Resource Links

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Features labor data, surveys, publications and more.

CDC Health Topic
Injuries From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Features information on accident causes and prevention, traffic fatalities, drowning, falls, and more.

Division of Quality Assurance
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Links to National Practitioner Data Bank and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety / Highway Loss Data Institute
Features vehicle ratings, safety facts, publications and more.

MEDLINEplus
Accidents Features articles on accident prevention and safety.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Personal Injury

Q: I've been hurt in an accident and I want to file a claim for my injuries. What's the first thing I should do?

A: There are a number of things you can do in the first few days and weeks after an accident to protect your right to compensation, such as:

1. write down as much as you can about the accident itself, your injuries and any other losses (such as wages) you've suffered as a result of the accident;
2. make notes of conversations that you have with people involved in the accident or the injury claim;
3. preserve evidence of who caused the accident and what damage was done by collecting physical evidence and taking photographs;
4. locate people who witnessed the accident and who might be able to help you prove your case;
5. notify anyone you think might be responsible for the accident of your intention to file a claim for your injuries, especially if a government agency or employee may be involved;and
6. contact a personal injury attorney to evaluate and pursue your claim.

Q: How do I know if I have a personal injury case?

A: First, you must have suffered an injury to your person or property. Second, you should consider whether your injury was the result of someone else's fault. It is not always necessary to have a physical injury to bring a personal injury lawsuit. Personal injury claims are often based on a variety of non-physical losses and harms. In the case of an assault, for example, you do not need to show that a person's action caused you actual physical harm, but only that you expected some harm to come to you. You also may have a case if someone has attacked your reputation, invaded your privacy, or inflicted emotional distress upon you.

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