You’ve seen the ads on morning television. Attorneys asking you if you have suffered an injury due to someone else’s careless actions. If you have, they say you may be eligible for recovery through a personal injury lawsuit.
Do you understand what goes into a personal injury claim? Aside from the damage to the body, it helps to understand some of the elements that you must prove to proceed with court action. Gain some insight into the personal injury lawsuit process so you can better recognize when you may want to consider going that route.
The Injury
Some activities are more likely to cause injury than others. For instance, if you run, you are more prone to foot, ankle, and knee injuries than people who don’t. When you face an unexpected injury by an unlikely event or source, it can lead to financial hardship. Going to the doctor, for example, should help rectify health issues, not cause more. Yet, medical malpractice cases make up a substantial portion of personal injury cases. Car accidents, slip and fall, dog bites — these injuries may all fall under the legal purview of personal injury.
The Responsible Party
Accidents happen. No one person is immune from having them. What if the person who caused the injury just made a mistake or the circumstances surrounding the incident was purely accidental? Personal injury law revolves around the concept of negligence. There are times when people make mistakes because they choose to ignore the fundamental duty of care. This is the responsibility every person has to do what can be done to ensure the safety and welfare of everyone. It means conducting yourself according to that principle. When someone is found responsible, they exercised some measure of negligence that led to the damage.
The Time Limits
Personal injury lawsuits follow other manners of law in setting time limitations for taking action. States set the time frame, so you must find someone who can help you understand your state’s laws. The standard, however, is usually two years from the date the injury was caused or from the time you discovered the damage was related to the actions of the responsible party. For example, if you have been feeling ill for a year, and then find out that your doctor misdiagnosed you and administered the wrong medication for 12 months, the clock for filing a lawsuit starts at the point you realize your doctor is at fault.
Check with local guidelines to ensure you don’t miss your opportunity to recover. Injuries can be life-altering, and you deserve a chance to get compensation. Contact a lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer in Canoga Park, CA from Unidos Legales, for more information today.