Most Common Types of Personal Injury Cases
Personal injury covers a wide range of claims that come from liability for damages caused by injury to another person or wrongful death.
Here are the top ten categories for personal injury claims:
1. Vehicle Accidents
Millions of Americans are injured in vehicle accidents every year. The National Highway Traffic Administration reports that a vehicle accident happens every sixty seconds in America, resulting in 5.25 million accidents every year.
2. Dog Bites
The Center for Disease Control reports that 4.5 million dog bites happen each year in America, and 800,000 dog bites require medical care.
3. Slip and Fall Accidents
More than one million Americans go to the emergency room each year because of a slip and fall accident that costs an average of $30,000 to $40,000 for treatment. One-third of those who are injured are over 65 years old. Injuries include pulled muscles, sprains, broken bones, brain injuries, and spinal damage that may lead to paralysis.
4. Assault
There are over 820,000 assaults in the United States each year. About 460,000 of them are sexual assault and rape. Sometimes, victims may not be able to prove the crimes sufficiently for a criminal conviction and yet, still win a civil lawsuit against the perpetrator.
5. Medical Malpractice
The estimates are that up to 225,000 people die each year from medical malpractice in the United States. However, only 2% of those who suffer file a claim for compensation.
6. Construction Accidents
Falling off a ladder at a construction site is very common. So, is getting hit by something that is dropped. There are about 150,000 construction accidents every year.
7. Other Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents are usually covered by the state’s worker’s compensation insurance program unless there is severe negligence on the part of the employer, which may make them directly liable.
8. Premises Liability
The owner of a property, which includes residential and commercial properties, is liable for any claims for accidents that occur on the premises. This is true even if the property owner had no direct involvement in causing the accident. Property owners need to carry sufficient insurance to protect themselves from this risk.
9. Product Liability
Any business that makes, sells or distributes a product is subject to product liability. This includes if some criminal tampers with the product illegally. Large settlements and class action awards have been achieved against the manufacturer of defective products and products that cause harm.
10. Defamation
Defamation can be slander, which is spoken, or libel, which is written and published. In general, with many exceptions, a person or company cannot publicly say things that are blatantly untrue and cause harm to another person or entity without exposure to potential liability for defamation. Defamation is hard to prove; however, statistics show that defamation cases are increasing each year.
Contact an Attorney Today!
These are just a few of the reasons to call a personal injury attorney at (281) 475-4535 or fill out the form on the website for a free consultation if you or a loved one experiences an injury or death due to someone else’s negligence.