Personal injury law allows victims to go to civil court and get compensation for all their losses, pain and suffering. Also referred to as the tort law, personal injury law is designed to allow those who are injured due to other people’s negligence or intentional act, to be financially compensated or “made whole” following the mishap.
The basics of personal injury
Personal injury rules apply to a range of situations, including accidents (car accidents, medical malpractice, slip, and fall); intentional acts (battery, assaults); defective products (product liability due to a defective product); and defamation (defamatory statements).
If you are injured, or someone close to you dies as a result of the causes mentioned above, there are some things that you need to know if you are considering legal action.
Insurance firms are not on your side
It is important always to remember that insurance companies don’t have your best interest at heart. They are in it for business and will strive to keep as much money as they can. Insurance companies will try to limit what they pay for the damages and medical costs and even hire skilled lawyers to back them up. Unfortunately, this will leave you with hefty bills to pay, now and in the future.
You need an experienced lawyer
If you sustained serious injuries, you may be facing tens of thousands of dollars in hospital bills and may require long-term rehabilitation. This means weeks, months or even years away from work, reduced quality of life among other losses. Having a Portland personal injury lawyer by your side is the best way to ensure your interests are being represented and that you get appropriate compensation for your injury. These lawyers understand the mental, financial and physical hardship that comes with severe injuries and will fight tooth and nail – against the insurance company and their lawyers – to help you get what you deserve.
You may get an extensive compensation
An experienced lawyer can help you obtain compensation for loss of earnings, past, and future medical expenses, pain and suffering and property damage. If you are representing a loved one who succumbed to the injuries, you may get compensation for medical costs incurred before death, loss of financial support and benefits, funeral and burial expenses and loss of consortium or companionship.
Cases vary from one individual to the next
While the basic steps of personal injury cases are similar, the lawsuit themselves vary based on the cause of injury, kind of injury, and so on. The cases also differ in duration and how they’re settled (whether it out of court or in court).
Time is of the essence and the evidence too
It’s always recommended that you call your personal injury lawyer as soon as you can, following the injury. Why? Because the statute of limitation limits the time in which you are allowed to file the case. It’s also important to gather plenty of evidence to back your claim up – and this might be impossible if too much time passes.