Personal injury claims can arise in a variety of scenarios. Some people take legal action after car crashes because of extensive losses or a driver lacking appropriate insurance. Other people have to pursue personal injury claims due to dangerous conditions at a business or unsafe products that injure them.
Regardless of the underlying cause of a personal injury lawsuit, the goal is generally to recover the economic losses triggered by an incident. The law allows for those harmed by the negligence or misconduct of others to request reimbursement for certain types of economic losses.
What financial concerns can people potentially address via personal injury lawsuits?
Property damage losses
Car crashes are an example of a scenario where one party’s actions could cause catastrophic property damage losses for another person. Defective products can also cause major property damage. Poorly designed vehicle components could cause expensive car crashes. Defective batteries in e-bikes might cause a house fire. Quantifying both direct property damage losses and diminished resale value can help people replace or repair damaged assets.
Medical expenses
The cost of trauma care after a car crash can be a major financial burden. The same is true of the medical care required when someone sustains burn injuries because of a defective product. Emergency trauma care is incredibly expensive. When combined with long-term care costs, those expenses can go beyond what insurance covers and may make litigation necessary.
Lost wages and earning potential
People who have to take time off of work to undergo medical care could lose out on days or weeks of income. In cases where a full recovery is unlikely, the injured person may have to cease working or change professions. They may have a lifetime of reduced earning potential to consider in addition to the short-term loss of wages during their recovery. They can ask the courts to award them damages based on the wages and benefits they could have earned if they hadn’t sustained injuries.
People already coping with injuries may have a hard time objectively evaluating their circumstances. They may need support as they estimate their losses and start gathering evidence for a personal injury lawsuit. Seeking legal guidance is a good way to get started.
