When you think about personal injury claims, your mind probably goes to car accidents, but there is a lot more to it than this. Being injured as a result of someone else’s negligence can negatively affect the course of your future, but obtaining just compensation represents a critical step toward your fullest recovery. Better understanding some of the personal injury basics can help.
More than Just Car Accidents
Personal injury claims can come in wide-ranging forms that include all of the following:
Traffic accidents of every variety, including car, truck, motorcycle, rideshare, bike, scooter, and pedestrian accidents (Why You Need an Attorney for Your Traffic Accident Claim)
Accidents caused by negligent property owners or managers, such as slip and falls and pool accidents (premises liability claims)
Accidents caused by faultily manufactured consumer products (product liability claims)
Personal injury claims that ultimately lead to death (wrongful death claims)
Duty of Care Owed
Personal injury cases are based on the duty of care that the at-fault party owed the injured party but failed to live up to. For example, when you get behind the wheel of your car, you take on the immense responsibility of driving safely and adhering to the rules of the road, which together amount to the duty of care that every motorist owes every other person on the roadway. Property owners and managers, product manufacturers, and dog owners – for example – are all charged with a significant duty of care, and when they are negligent in this duty, dangerous accidents and attendant personal injury claims can ensue.
The Insurance Company Is Not on Your Side
Most personal injury claims are addressed by the at-fault party’s insurance provider. It is important to recognize, however, that the involved insurance company is motivated by its own best interests – and not by yours. The insurance company is well versed at keeping its settlements as low as possible, which makes bringing your strongest claim – guided by the professional legal guidance of a dedicated personal injury attorney – well advised.
Read more about insurance
- Should You Accept the Insurance Company’s Initial Settlement Offer?
- Dealing with the At-Fault Driver's Insurance Company
Seek Medical Attention and Follow Your Doctor’s Orders
If you are involved in an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you face a difficult path forward toward healing. One of the most important steps that you can take to better protect your health and your personal injury claim, however, is seeking medical attention as soon after the accident as possible and carefully following your medical team’s instructions. Even if you don’t think you have sustained serious injuries, it is important to let a doctor be the judge of that. The truth is that serious injuries can lay dormant until they become far more serious injuries that are far more difficult to successfully treat.
Turn to an Experienced Killeen Personal Injury Attorney Today
Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Killeen, Texas, is a dedicated personal injury attorney who has a wealth of experience successfully guiding claims like yours toward outcomes that protect our clients' rights and we are here for you, too. For more information, please do not wait to contact or call us at 254-501-4040 today.
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