5 Most Common Types of Personal Injury Claims
The personal injury ads we all see frequently range from the hyper-specific—touting defences for rare medical complications, for instance—through to injuries we’ve heard of but think will never happen to us. Imagine work place injury or car accidents.
The fact is, none of us go through life without injury, and if you or a family member has been injured due to someone else’s actions it’s important to know your rights. Understanding legal responsibility for a person’s injury and when a lawsuit is appropriate, means being familiar with most common types of personal injury claims. This will leave you prepared before disaster strikes.
- Vehicle Accidents: We use them every day, and it’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security from something that is so integrated into our lives. While Canada, and Ontario in particular, has done a great job of lowering the rates of injury and death from vehicular accidents, it’s still one of the leading threats to the health of our citizens. Canada saw 1,834 fatalities in 2014 from accidents involving motor vehicles, and 9,647 serious injuries that same year. If someone else is at fault for an accident then it’s important that you are fully compensated. This includes not just damage to your property, but full compensation for lost wages and the diminished ability to live your life due to an injury.
- Work Related Injuries: People spend half of their waking life or more in the workplace, and while you have some control over your environment at home, at work you often don’t. If an employer has been negligent or you’ve been injured while performing your job then you’re legally entitled to compensation.
- Negligence in Public Premises (eg. slip and fall): One of the most common types of accident that falls into this category is slips, trips, and falls. Here in Ontario, it’s the responsibility of property owners and the city to fully clear the public areas they own of ice, snow, and any other hazards. If they fail to do so, they’ve been negligent and are legally liable for injuries that result.
- Product Liability: Some of the most surprising and potentially injurious accidents are due to a product that malfunctions. We use thousands of products each day, and if one of them is defective, it can end up causing injury. The maker of the malfunctioning product is typically liable for such injuries.
- Medical Malpractice: Sometimes our worst fears are realized and a medical operation goes awry. In some cases you may have been briefed on the risk but in others medical negligence may be involved. It can be complicated proving that an injury in a medical situation has been caused by malpractice, which is why it’s so vital to employ a law firm with experience and expertise in this area.
Not all personal injury lawsuits fall under these categories. If you’re wondering if something that has happened to you qualifies as a personal injury case, give us a call. We get results with our effective, common sense approach and experienced personal injury lawyers. Levitt Di Lella Duggan & Chaplick LLP is Toronto’s best bet for legal representation that puts the injury victim first.
