When was the last time you had to call a law firm? Six months ago? Maybe more than a year ago? For many Americans the answer is never, which from many perspectives is a good thing. From another perspective, though, not knowing where you will turn when you need to contact an attorney could cause issues, especially when it involves a personal injury. No one ever plans to need a personal injury lawyer because no one ever plans to get injured, but understanding what to do when it happens to you is key. Below are three of the most common reasons people end up contacting a personal injury law firm and some quick facts about each one:
Motor Vehicle Accidents – Over half of all personal injury cases somehow relate to a motor vehicle accident. If you are injured in an accident on the road that was not your fault, it is likely that you could make a personal injury claim against the person who caused the injury. Think of it this way, why would you be responsible for your own medical bills if someone else negligently caused the injury. It would be only fair for the party who caused the injury to pay for you to recover. This is exactly how personal injury law firms work to help you. They take the details of the case and, on your behalf, request the funds that will cover your medical bills, loss of compensation because of missed work, and more.
Slip and Falls – Another common type of personal injury is a slip and fall, which involves someone falling and injuring themselves at a location owned by someone else due to the negligence of the owner of the establishment. Nearly a quarter of slip and fall incidents result in an injury that keeps the victim away from work for more than a month or more. As you can imagine, the injuries from slip and fall accidents range from broken bones to head injuries.
Medical Malpractice – Medical malpractice cases fall into the top five most common types of personal injury suits filed today. These cases are complex because they involve a physician acting negligently in such a way that injures the patient being cared for. The complexities in the legal sense and the medical sense are just one of the reasons that you’ll need an attorney to help out if something like this happens to you or a family member.
You may not need to have a personal injury attorney on retainer at all times, but it is nice to have an idea of which law firm you would call if something happened to you. The last thing you will want to do or have time to do if you are injured in one of the scenarios above is search for an attorney to represent you. Make a few phone calls, ask friends and family members, and have a couple of names in mind for if anything ever happens. You’ll be glad you did.
