A personal injury attorney actually helps clients with a wide range of different types of injuries and lawsuits. This includes everything from a vehicle accident to dog bites and from nursing home abuse to medical malpractice.
Different attorneys practicing personal injury (PI) law may specialize in one or more areas. Often medical malpractice and nursing home neglect or abuse types of attorneys are very specialized since they have to have a good understanding of healthcare, treatment protocols and standard practices.
Making the decision to seek the help of a PI attorney is usually based on the type of case. It is possible to have criminal charges in addition to the civil action of a personal injury case, and the attorney can advise the clients on how these two different types of legal actions occur.
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Not all accidents are grounds for a personal injury case. There are several factors that have to be considering including if there was negligence or intentional actions triggering the injury. Additionally, a personal injury attorney will also look at comparative negligence, which means if the injured person in any way contributed to the injury.
For example, in a slip and fall injury, the property owner is liable for the condition of the property. However, if the injured party was in a restricted area, failed to notice caution signs or perhaps was texting while walking or otherwise distracted, the property owner may not be at fault or only partially at fault.
Provide Full Information
It is important at the first meeting with your Waukegan PI attorney to be open, honest and complete in your description of the event. This allows the attorney to assess your case and provide information to you as to the merits and potential challenges with your case.
This is also a good time to talk to the personal injury attorney about what to expect for a settlement. There are several different types of damages that can be awarded in a PI case, but not all will apply to every lawsuit.
Damages can include the cost of medical care, lost wages, property damages and other costs directly related to the injury. In a few situations, punitive damages may also be awarded as a way for the court to punish the defendant for extremely horrific or despicable types of actions.
Each individual case is unique and needs to be evaluated by an experienced PI lawyer to give the injured person full information on what to expect in the case. Talking to a Waukegan attorney as quickly as possible should be a priority when injuries have occurred because of the negligence of another party.
