What Types of Cases Do Gainesville Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?
When a party’s conduct causes another person to suffer harm or injury, it is called a tort. Tort laws are more commonly known as personal injury laws. Personal injury claims seek compensation for the damages sustained by an injured party.
Personal injury law covers many different types of cases. Some of the common cases that personal injury lawyers in Gainesville, FL handle include:
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Traffic accidents are one of the most common types of personal injury cases lawyers handle.
Car accident claims arise from any type of collision, including accidents involving:
- Passenger cars
- Commercial motor vehicles
- Pedestrians
- Buses, limos, and rideshare vehicles
- Bicyclists
- Large trucks, including semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, and tractor-trailers
- Motorcycles
Many motor vehicle accident claims settle without the need to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, insurance companies often undervalue damages, especially when a person does not have legal representation.
If you were involved in a motor vehicle crash, it is important to seek legal counsel before talking to an insurance adjuster or signing any documents for the insurance company.
Medical Malpractice
Malpractice occurs when a professional fails to execute the duty of care they owe to a party. Medical negligence and medical errors can cause harm and injury to patients. When a health care provider fails to meet the standard of care, they can be liable for medical malpractice.
Common medical malpractice claims include:
- Labor and delivery injuries
- Anesthesia errors
- Failure to diagnose and misdiagnosis
- Medication errors
- Failure to monitor a patient
- Surgical errors
- Failing to obtain informed consent
- Diagnostic errors
- Failure to treat
Medical malpractice claims are complex personal injury cases. They involve intense investigations that often require hiring medical specialists and other expert witnesses. Contact a medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you suspect that you could be the victim of medical negligence.
Premises Liability Claims
Property owners, landlords, business owners, and other parties can be held liable for injuries that occur on their property. Premises liability claims cover injuries and accidents on private, commercial, and public property.
Slip and fall accidents are common types of premises liability claims. However, premises liability covers various injury claims, including dog bites, exposure to harmful substances, negligent security, swimming pool accidents, bedbug claims, playground injuries, amusement park injuries, and many other situations.
The injured party has the burden of proving that the property owner breached the duty of care owed to them and that breach of duty caused their injury. Proving a property owner knew or should have known about a dangerous condition but failed to take reasonable measures to protect invitees and guests can be challenging.
If you were injured on another party’s property, hire a personal injury lawyer with experience handling premise liability claims. It is best to hire an injury lawyer who has dealt with similar claims as yours.
Product Liability Claims
Manufacturers, distributors, and other parties responsible for producing and selling products can be held liable for damages caused by defective products. In many cases, these parties can be held strictly liable for injuries and damages. Common product liability claims include design defects, manufacturing defects, and failure to warn.
Product liability cases can include any type of product.
Personal injury lawyers often handle product liability cases involving:
- Medical devices
- Toys and children’s furniture
- Household appliances
- Pharmaceutical drugs
- Vehicle parts, including airbags, seatbelts, and brakes
- Weed killers and pesticides
- Electronics, machinery, and tools
Product liability law is a specialized area of personal injury law. Handling these types of cases requires experience, knowledge, and resources. Therefore, you should hire a personal injury lawyer with substantial experience handling product liability claims.
Workers’ Compensation
Most accidents and injuries that occur on the job are covered by Florida’s workers’ compensation system. Workers’ compensation provides benefits for injured workers so they can receive prompt medical care and wage benefits.
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. Injured employees are not required to prove negligence or fault to obtain workers’ comp benefits. Therefore, filing a workers’ comp claim should be straightforward.
However, employers and insurance providers can complicate the process. For example, insurance companies may deny valid claims or reduce benefits. Working with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer can help ensure that you receive the benefits you deserve.
Furthermore, a workplace accident lawyer will review your case to determine if you have a third-party claim. Third-party claims for workplace accidents can provide additional compensation for damages not covered by workers’ comp, including pain and suffering.
Assault and Intentional Torts
Personal injury claims are often based on negligence. However, intentional torts can also result in liability for damages.
You can file a lawsuit against the person who caused an injury because of sexual assault, physical attacks, and other intentional wrongdoing. Your claim is not dependent upon the outcome of a criminal case. Therefore, criminal charges don’t need to be filed for you to file a personal injury claim.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help You After an Injury or Accident?
If you need to file a lawsuit due to a personal injury, you’ll want an experienced lawyer to handle the case.
Examples of ways that a personal injury lawyer can help you with a claim include, but are not limited to:
- Advising you of your legal rights and options to seek compensation for damages
- Investigating the cause of your injury
- Identifying the parties responsible for your injuries
- Gathering evidence proving causation and fault to establish liability for damages
- Accurately calculating the value of your damages
- Hiring experts to work on your case as needed
- Confirming insurance coverage, filing claims, and negotiating settlements with insurance companies
- Dealing with aggressive insurance adjusters and bad faith insurance practices
- Pursuing all legal claims for compensation
- Aggressively advocating for your legal rights and best interests during settlement negotiations or at trial
The insurance company has a team of professionals working to protect it from liability. You deserve to have a legal team working even harder on your behalf. Going up against an insurance provider alone can be overwhelming, and it could result in less money for your personal injury case.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Gainesville Personal Injury Lawyer
If another party caused you or your family member harm, you could be entitled to compensation. All personal injury cases are subject to Florida’s statute of limitations. Therefore, seeking legal advice as soon as possible after an injury or accident is important to avoid losing your legal right to pursue a claim.
Contact an experienced Gainesville personal injury attorney at Allen Law Firm, P.A. or give us a call at (877) 255-3652 for help getting the money you deserve for your injuries and damages.
