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Personal Injury Cases - An Overview

If you have suffered a personal injury, you may be entitled to compensation for your injury. Legal responsibility, called "liability," revolves around the simple fact that most injuries happen because someone was careless or "negligent." Even if you believe you may have partly caused your own injury, in most states you can still get some compensation from anyone else who was also careless and partly responsible for your injury.

There are several factors that affect the potential success and value of a personal injury claim. Such factors include the ability to prove the fault of another for your injury and the nature and extent of your injuries. If you suspect you may have a legal claim, you should contact an attorney for an evaluation of your case. Personal injury attorneys are experienced with cases like yours, and can tell you at the outset whether it is worthwhile to pursue legal action. If you are unlikely to prevail, your attorney will tell you so, and you will not need to incur the time and expense of pursuing an unpromising claim.

How Much Is Your Claim Worth?

To determine what your claim is worth, an attorney will consider and advise you of the things for which you are entitled to compensation. Usually, a person who is liable for an injury and therefore his or her liability insurance company must pay an injured person for...

Top 10 List: Reasons to Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney

10.EXPERIENCE ASSESSING CLAIMS. Personal injury attorneys are experienced with cases like yours and can tell you at the outset whether it is worth your while to pursue legal action. If you are unlikely to prevail, you will not need to incur the time and expense of preparing for litigation...

Make Notes About Your Accident And Injuries

One of the first things you should do after you are injured is write down everything you can about your injury, including details of your injuries and their effect on your daily life. Having notes to remind you of the details of what happened, and what you went through, is both easier and more reliable than counting on your memory.

Notify Responsible Parties & Potential Defendants

At the start of the personal injury claim process, you don't have to know who was at fault for your injury; you must simply think about who might have been at fault. In the beginning, you don't have to give the people involved, or their insurance companies, any detailed information about the accident or your injuries. All you, or your attorney, has to do is notify them that there was an accident at a certain time and place, that you were injured, and that you intend to file a claim.

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.

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:

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;
make notes of conversations that you have with people involved in the accident or the injury claim;
preserve evidence of who caused the accident and what damage was done by collecting physical evidence and taking photographs;
locate people who witnessed the accident and who might be able to help you prove your case;
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
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.