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What Types of Injuries Are Covered by Personal Injury Lawsuits?
Has someone injured you? If so, you may be wondering if they are legally responsible for paying for your expenses and injuries in a personal injury lawsuit. The types of damages that can result in personal injury lawsuits are widely varied. They can be physical, emotional, or financial injuries. The injury can result from an accident, negligence, intentional act, or failure to act. For instance, some of the most common types of personal injury cases are car accidents, medical malpractice, slip and fall accidents, defamation, assault, dog bites, and workplace accidents. An experienced personal injury lawyer is qualified to evaluate your injury to determine whether you have a valid claim.
Causation in Personal Injury Lawsuits
Have you been harmed because of the negligent or intentional actions of another person? To be successful in showing the other party’s responsibility, you must establish causation. Causation is a legal concept that requires you to show the connection between the accident and your injuries to prove the direct cause of the harm you have experienced.
Personal Injury Liability
Establishing liability requires proving that someone is legally responsible for your injuries. You must show that the person’s behavior “breached their duty of care” and caused your injury. For example, a driver has the duty to act as a reasonable person while operating a vehicle and to avoid acting in a way that would cause injury to others.
It is important to note that Washington is a contributory fault state. Contributory fault means that both parties in an accident can be partially responsible. Your compensation could potentially be reduced by the degree to which you contributed to the situation that caused your injuries.
Damages
In a personal injury case, you will need evidence that your injuries were severe enough to have caused you to suffer an actual loss. Your damages may include physical injury and pain, emotional effects, and monetary losses. For instance, medical costs, lost wages, the cost of repairing or replacing damaged property, loss of quality of life, or funeral expenses are all examples of damages that can be legally recovered. Evidence of your losses is essential in establishing the value of your claim. Items such as medical records, receipts, bills, and notes will help supply the necessary documentation. The person or business who caused your injuries, or their insurance carrier, are potentially responsible for paying for your damages.
Statute of Limitations
To protect your interests, consult an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your injury. Avoid potential problems with the statute of limitations that applies to your case. Personal injury cases caused by negligence have up to three years after your injury to file your claim. Some types of cases are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. Contact us today at (206) 202-5137 or [email protected] to schedule a free consultation and find out if you have a potential personal injury lawsuit.
If you have questions about your case, please contact us at [email protected] or (253) 236-4079.
