Personal Injury Law Basics
Core pillar of injury laws and common questions answered- Top Injury Guides
I’ve been hurt. Now what?
How do I find a lawyer?
How do I handle insurance?
Overview: What is personal injury?
“Personal injury” is a type of tort lawsuit in which the person suing (the “plaintiff”) has suffered physical, emotional or financial harm due to the actions of the person being sued (the “defendant”).
Negligence is the most common cause of personal injury. Types of personal injury negligence include gross negligence, reckless conduct, intentional misconduct and, in rare cases, strict liability.
Every personal injury claim has two basic issues: liability and financial compensation. The financial costs a plaintiff can recover are known as “damages,” which typically include the injured person’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life.
Visit our Accidents page for more information on the most common types of personal injury claims, including car accidents, work accidents, slip and fall, medical malpractice, wrongful death and more.
Personal injury guides
Are you or a loved one still reeling after an accident? You need real answers to help you deal with real life challenges facing your recovery. Get started here to learn about the core pillars of personal injury law and the common questions surrounding them.
I’ve been hurt. Now what?
Do I have a claim?
How do I find a lawyer?
How does a civil lawsuit work?
- The claims process and how long a personal injury lawsuit takes
- Is there a time limit for personal injury compensation claims? (statute of limitations)
- Class action lawsuits
- Class actions, mass torts, MDLs: what’s the difference?
- Understanding your rights following an intentional tort
- Switching attorneys in the middle of a case
- Jurisdiction: Accidents that involve multiple states
- Multidistrict litigation (MDLs)
- Difference between injury settlement and an injury judgment
- Mediation, arbitration, going to court - what’s best?
- Why (and how) to settle a case out of court
- Settle out of court with a payment demand letter
- All about mediation
- Calculating loss of wages
- How damages are calculated
- How is pain and suffering calculated
- Limits/caps on damages and what this could mean for your personal injury case
- 6 steps to writing an effective payment demand letter
- Before you sign a confidentiality clause - what you need to know
