Severe bodily injuries happen every day. While some of these injuries occur due to unavoidable circumstances, many of them only result from someone else’s negligence. A dedicated attorney could help you pursue a legal claim based on this negligence.
If you sustained harm from another person’s negligent actions, you could be facing significant challenges. With a Zebulon personal injury lawyer, you might be able to recover monetary damages that cover your financial losses and help ease the physical and emotional toll from your injuries.
Common Personal Injury Claims
While no two personal injury claims are exactly alike, many of them have much in common. The basic facts that go into a personal injury claim can vary, but they generally center on the defendant’s failure to take reasonable steps to avoid causing an injury. Some circumstances that are common causes of personal injury claims include:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Animal attacks
- Violent assaults
- Medical errors
Any injury caused by another person or entity could be viable grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. Recovering financial compensation following these accidents could be possible with the assistance of a local personal injury attorney.
Injuries That Could Result in a Claim
Minor injuries like scrapes or bruises might not be enough to result in a viable claim for compensation. Typically, the injuries that produce a significant monetary award involve severe pain or lasting health consequences. Examples include:
- Broken arms or wrists
- Severe burns
- Disfigurement
- Internal bleeding
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal damage
- Paralysis
When these injuries happen, a plaintiff could pay for the necessary medical treatment by holding the defendant accountable. A Zebulon accidental injury lawyer could assist with recovering these damages by filing a civil lawsuit against the defendant.
Proving Negligence
Before an injured person can recover damages, they must first show their injury resulted from someone else’s negligence. This requires a plaintiff to establish each of the four elements of negligence under the law. If they fail to establish negligence, recovering compensation might not be possible.
The first step in a successful personal injury claim is to show the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care. There are many potential duties of care depending on the circumstances. Property owners owe certain visitors a duty to warn them of dangers on their property, while every motorist owes a duty of care to others on the roadway to obey traffic laws and drive safely.
Next, a plaintiff is required to prove the defendant violated this duty of care. In motor vehicle accident claims, this often involves proof of some kind of moving violation. It might mean that a dog owner failed to leash their pet, leading to an attack. Any reckless, intentional, or careless act could lead to a breach of the duty of care.
There must also be a causal link between the injuries the plaintiff suffered and the negligent act. There is no right to recover compensation for injuries unrelated to the breached duty of care.
Finally, there must be a showing of compensable damages. The most common form of damages recovered is the cost of medical care. Other examples include property damage, psychological harm, or the loss of enjoyment of life.
Talk to a Zebulon Personal Injury Attorney Today
There are many factors that go into a successful personal injury claim. From developing a theory of negligence to ensuring a lawsuit is filed on time, each step of the case is crucial for a successful outcome.
A single mistake while pursuing a claim could be costly. Schedule an initial consultation with a Zebulon personal injury lawyer to let them protect your claim throughout the process.