We know accidents happen and can change your life in an instant.
Personal injury is a legal term for an injury to the body, mind or emotions. As part of a legal claim for personal injury there may be other claims asserted, such as property loss.
An injury or disability can change a life forever as well as family members who are affected. Money cannot replace physical and mental loss. We get that. That is why we fight so hard to make sure our clients recover the maximum amount allowed by law.
We are ready to help you with your situation.
The McCravy, Newlon, Sturkie & Clardy Law Firm is ready to help with all types of accidents where another person or company is at fault or where insurance may cover the injuries.
Three Facts To Know Before Meeting With An Injury Attorney
Torts is an area of the law that will touch the lives of most people either directly or through a family member or a loved one. A survey of the nation’s courts conducted several years ago by the federal government revealed that almost two-thirds of the civil cases they handled were related to injury law in one form or another.
A lawyer handling tort cases is a tort lawyer or a personal injury lawyer, and the cases usually involve an injured person suing another party to collect compensation for damages suffered by the victim. Being injured in an accident does not, however, automatically entitle you to receive compensation. There are three facts about personal injury you need to know in order to understand your rights as an accident victim.
Negligence plays an important role in determining your right to compensation
The legal doctrine of negligence holds that people owe a duty to others to act in a reasonable manner to avoid placing other people at risk. For example, the driver of a motor vehicle owes a duty of care to others to do the following:
. Maintain control over the vehicle at all times
. Keep a proper lookout
. Obey the traffic laws
Texting while driving could be conduct that an injury attorney could use to prove that a driver breached the duty of care owed to others by driving while distracted. A jury might believe it to be negligence and award damages to the injured party.
There are times, however, when an accident happens without anyone being at fault. Two vehicles colliding because of ice on the road surface might not support a claim for compensation if one of the drivers is injured. Unless there is evidence to show the vehicle driven by the other driver was going too fast for the conditions or was otherwise negligent, the accident might simply have been something for which neither of the parties involved was responsible.
Personal injury law is more than just car accidents
There are a number of different situations other than a car accident under which you might need an injury attorney, including:
. Intentional torts: assault, battery, false imprisonment and other conduct that is done for the purpose of causing injury to another person
. Medical Malpractice: injuries caused by the negligence of a doctor or other health care provider
. Dog bites: claims against the owner of a dog or other animal that injures a person
. Premises liability: slip-and-fall, faulty wiring, unsafe construction and other conditions associated with buildings and sidewalks
. Product liability: the unsafe design, inadequate instructions or manufacturing defects that can cause injury to users of products and equipment
Time matters when injury law cases arise
If you or a family member suffers injuries because of conduct of another person, business or organization, you must act quickly. Laws in every state impose a statute of limitations on personal injury cases. Statutes of limitations require the start of a lawsuit within a specific time following an injury. An injury attorney could advise you about the statute of limitations in your state, but keep in mind you could lose your right to sue by missing the deadline.
The most common types of personal injury claims are: