What does “personal injury law” really mean?
You’ve probably seen countless television commercials singing the praises of another personal injury lawyer Brampton has to offer. You may have a general sense of the kinds of cases these lawyers take on, but do you really know what personal injury law means?
In a general sense, personal injury law is the umbrella under which cases that result in injury to a person, either physical or psychological, at the hands of another party. That other party could be held responsible under the law and could be liable for covering the cost of expenses related to the treatment of the injury. A personal injury lawyer can help a wronged party recover these expenses.
Let’s look at an example. What if a person is shopping in a grocery store and slips and falls on a wet floor, breaking his leg. The store could potentially be held liable for the medical expenses incurred as a result of this injury. Why? Because they were negligent in keeping the store clean and safe. Similarly, if a nurse mistakenly administers the wrong medication and the patient has an adverse reaction, the hospital could be held liable under personal injury law.
These “wrongs” that are committed against another party in these situations are known as torts. Whether the wrong is committed intentionally or through negligence, the person who is found to have committed the wrong is known as the tortfeasor. An important note here is that in order to have committed a tort, the tortfeasor must have been in a position to owe a duty of some kind to the injured person. A duty of providing proper medical care or safe shopping conditions, for example. The most common type of tort is known as a negligent tort. In these situations, the injury is caused by the negligence of another party.
The amount the tortfeasor is found liable to pay is called the settlement. This could include a wide range of expenses, include medical costs, loss of earnings, pain, suffering and other costs could be included in the settlement amount. Settlements can also include compensation for the injured party’s inability to provide for his or her spouse financially or emotionally as a result of the injury.
Attorneys who specialize in these types of cases are known as personal injury lawyers. Because of the nature of these cases, personal injury lawyers are generally paid on what is known as contingency. What this means is that there is no charge to hire the lawyer. Instead, once a settlement is reached and the injured party receives the payment, the lawyer will take an agreed-upon percentage of the settlement amount.
If you have been injured at the hands of another party, whether accidental or intentionally, you should look into hiring a personal injury lawyer. They can help you navigate the system and may be able to help you to recover compensation for your injuries.
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