Unfortunately, countless people suffer personal injuries in any given year. If you haven’t suffered a personal injury of note, you’re pretty lucky. However, your luck may eventually run out, and you could need personal injury lawyers. Not sure when you should call a personal injury attorney? Let’s look at some of the common scenarios.
Of course, this list is far from exhaustive. If you have suffered an injury, contacting an attorney is smart, even if your scenario doesn’t fit neatly into the situations below.
The Crucial Question: Who is Liable?
If your injury is due to someone else’s action or inaction, there’s a good chance that said party could be found liable for the injury. Let’s say you’re walking down the stairs when suddenly the handrail gives out, and you slip and fall. Who, then, is at fault? That will depend on a variety of factors.
If you’re renting an apartment and the handrail gives out in a common area, such as the flight of stairs connecting to the lobby, the landlord might be liable. If you’re renting a home and you slip on stairs inside, the landlord might also be at fault. This is especially true if they failed to maintain the handrail or didn’t make the requested repairs. The owner or business might be at fault if you’re in a commercial building.
If you own the home, and you yourself failed to maintain the handrail, you might be at fault. However, if you recently bought a brand-new home and the handrail gave out, it may be because of shoddy construction and other issues.
To be clear, you’ll need to talk with personal injury attorneys as the liability laws are very complex and vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Let’s look at some specific scenarios when you should contact a personal injury lawyer.
A Pedestrian Was Struck by a Vehicle
In 2021, more than 7,000 pedestrians were killed in a motor vehicle accident (in the United States). Countless more sustained life-changing injuries. If you were struck by a vehicle, it’s wise to speak with an attorney to determine who might be liable and if you’re owed compensation and assistance with medical bills.
Someone Got Sick at a Restaurant
When you think of personal injuries, you might first think of collisions, slip and falls, and similar kinetic accidents. However, if you or a loved one fell ill because the food at a restaurant was contaminated or improperly handled/cooked, you may have a personal injury claim. A minor stomachache may not result in significant damage. Yet many people end up hospitalized due to food poisoning.
A Product Malfunctioned
Product design and manufacturing have advanced by leaps and bounds over the years. Cars today are much safer, on average, than they were 50 years ago. Yet products can still fail. The brakes on a vehicle may give out not due to poor maintenance on the owner’s part, but instead bad design on the part of the automobile manufacturer or their suppliers. In such cases, there may be grounds for a personal injury lawsuit.
When In Doubt, Contact an Attorney
The above list of scenarios and considerations is far from comprehensive or exhaustive. If you’ve suffered an injury, even if you think you might have been at fault, contacting personal injury lawyers is still smart. An objective incident analysis may reveal that someone else was at fault. If so, you may be able to receive compensation to cover medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and more. An attorney can provide advice, and many will also provide free consultations.