5 Common Types of Personal Injury Accidents
If you have ever driven down the freeway and looked up at the billboards or stayed home from work and watched television all afternoon, you have seen advertisements for personal injury attorneys. You may think that those lawyers just represent people in car accidents, but the truth is, there are many different types of personal injury cases. There are a few types of injuries that attorneys see over and over again.
1. Wrongful Death
When a person dies due to the negligence of another person or a company, their surviving family members will often file a wrongful death case. According to the site https://tjryanlaw.com, in the state of California, wrongful death claims can be filed by a spouse, dependent children, or the parents of the decedent. A wrongful death may come as a result of a car accident, medical malpractice, unsafe worksites, or a slip and fall.
You have two years to file a wrongful death claim in the state of California. You may be compensated for things such as loss of future income and loss of companionship. You will file your case in the state civil court system.
2. Car Accidents
Californians may love their cars, but traffic accidents are very common here and there are thousands of personal injury claims and lawsuits filed each year as a result.
A person has two years to file a lawsuit for bodily injury in the Golden State and three years to file a suit for damage to property. If you are hit by a government vehicle, it is important to notify the state you’re making the claim against within 6 months of the accident.
3. Workers Compensation
If someone is injured while on the job, they will file a worker’s compensation claim. Workers’ compensation insurance is no-fault. It does not matter if the employer caused the accident or if it was caused by the employees own negligence.
When a worker is injured, they should tell their immediate supervisor right away. They should then get medical treatment and file a worker’s comp statement with the company’s human resource department.
If the worker’s comp insurance company will not cover all of the expenses, the worker may file an application for adjudication of claim with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB). If a settlement cannot be reached, it may result in a lawsuit. There are limited circumstances under which an employee may sue an employer for personal injury. It generally involves extreme negligence or harassment on the part of the employer.
4. Dog Bites
Although dogs are man’s best friend, they can be aggressive and sometimes bite people. This often results in the bite victim taking the dog owner to court. California has strict liability laws when it comes to dog bites. An owner will almost always have to pay if their dog bits someone in this state.
One of the only ways the bite victim may lose a personal injury case would be if they had trespassed on the dog owner’s private property. If the bite happened in a public place or if the victim was visiting private property legally, there is a very good chance the owner will be found at fault.
5. Slip and Fall
People fall and hurt themselves all the time. Sometimes it is because they are simply clumsy or not looking where they are going, and other times it is because of another person’s negligence.
When someone falls in a store where there was water, sauce, or oil on the floor, they can file a personal injury claim with the store’s insurance company. If a construction crew leaves boards sitting out on the street and somebody trips over them, it may end up being grounds for a personal injury suit.
When an accident happens at a business, you will generally file an accident report as well as a claim with a business’s insurance company, If they failed to give you an acceptable settlement, you would want to talk to an attorney.
Accidents happen every day. However, if your accident was the fault of another person, it is nice to know that you can make them pay.
