July 29, 2021 | Car accidents, Personal Injury, Truck Accidents, Workers Compensation, wrongful death
Personal injury is a relatively broadly used term that typically describes a certain type of lawyer or lawsuit.
This article will help you understand what personal injury is, what a personal injury attorney does, the types of cases a personal injury lawyer handles, and when you should speak with an injury attorney.
OUR BACKGROUND IN PERSONAL INJURY
Ortwerth Law is a personal injury law firm in St. Louis, Missouri.
We handle a wide range of personal injury practice areas like workers’ compensation, car accidents, and truck accidents.
We have over 25 years of experience as personal injury attorneys and have won many awards and our cases and settlements have been featured in some of the most prominent lawyer publications in the country.
Now, let’s discuss the personal injury and the duties of a personal injury attorney.
What is personal injury?
Personal injury is a general term that can cover many different types of claims.
In its most basic definition, personal injury refers to intentional or unintentional physical, emotional, or psychological harm caused by someone else’s actions.
The term “personal injury” refers to any physical, emotional, or financial damage that is caused by a person’s negligence or an accident.
Most common types of personal injury cases
CAR ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY CASES
Car accidents are one of the most common types of personal injury cases.
In these cases, someone else’s negligence resulted in an accident that caused a car crash or other type of collision.
The car accident attorney must prove that another driver was negligent and then provide evidence regarding how this led to the client’s injuries including medical bills, lost wages from missed workdays, and potential bills that may arise in the future.
Related: Car accident settlements in Missouri
TRUCK ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY CASES
Truck accidents involve a commercial truck driver’s negligence, which is when they do not maintain their vehicle in proper condition and then wreck it.
In semi-truck accident cases, the truck accident attorney must show that the trucker was negligent by proving they didn’t keep up with maintenance or violated other rules of the road like speeding.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION PERSONAL INJURY CASE
A workers’ compensation personal injury case is when an employee was injured on the job and filed a claim for restitution.
The duty of the workers’ compensation attorney in this instance is to prove that their client was not at fault or negligent during the incident, which would deny them benefits under workers’ comp laws.
In most workers’ comp cases, your attorney will be fighting your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance agency as they will, in most cases, do everything in their power to minizine your payout.
Related: Most common workers’ compensation injuries and lawsuits
SLIP AND FALL PERSONAL INJURY CASES
Slip and fall lawsuits are usually filed by a plaintiff who was injured when they slipped and fell due to the negligence of another party.
In these cases, the local personal injury attorney will have to prove that someone else’s carelessness caused their client’s injury while also showing how much money is being lost as a result of medical bills or missed workdays.
WRONGFUL DEATH PERSONAL INJURY CASES
These types of cases are filed by the surviving family members after someone’s death.
Wrongful death lawsuits happen when negligence leads to a person’s injury or death, so these types of personal injury attorneys will have to prove that their client’s death was the direct (or in some cases indirect) result of an accident or negligence.
Some of the most common types of wrongful death lawsuits include car accident death cases, medical malpractice wrongful death lawsuits, and nursing home abuse lawsuits.
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE PERSONAL INJURY CASES
Medical malpractice cases are usually filed by a plaintiff who was injured due to the negligence of another medical professional.
Medical malpractice lawsuits are not exclusively lawsuits against doctors.
These personal injury cases may also involve lawsuits against hospitals, dentists, pharmacies (or pharmacists), and even pharmaceutical companies.
In these types of personal injury cases, the medical malpractice attorney will have to show that someone else’s carelessness caused their injuries and how much money is being lost as a result including potential wages from missed workdays or future earnings.
Types of personal injury attorneys
When you are searching for a local personal injury attorney, you will likely find that most of them practice or have experience in a wide range of personal injury areas.
Put simply, most personal injury attorneys will offer their services in all of the previously listed practice areas.
However, that does not mean personal injury law firms don’t have certain areas in which they specialize.
Ortwerth Law, for instance, has experience handling just about every type of personal injury lawsuit imaginable, but there are several areas of practice we frequently provide our legal services like car accidents, truck accidents, and workers’ compensation.
How to find the best personal injury lawyer for your case
The best way to find the best personal injury lawyer for your case is to reach out and ask them about their experience.
Ask potential lawyers what types of cases they have handled in the past, what kind of results they’ve achieved, how many years they have been practicing law (experience often goes hand-in-hand with skill), and what sets them apart from other personal injury law firms.
Most personal injury lawyers will offer a free consultation for potential clients to discuss their case at no cost, which should always be taken advantage of when looking for legal representation.
Once you’ve narrowed down your options and found the perfect lawyer for your case, it’s time to start gathering evidence for your case.
The best way to find the best personal injury lawyer for your case is to reach out and ask them about their experience. Ask potential lawyers what types of cases they have handled in the past, what kind of results they’ve achieved, how many years they have been practicing law (experience often goes hand