How to Determine if You Have a Valid Personal Injury Claim
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The type and severity of your injuries will impact the overall value of your claim. However, the degree of your injuries isn’t the only factor determining whether you have a valid personal injury claim.
You must prove that you suffered injuries because of another party’s negligent actions or inaction. This proof can come from various sources, including medical records, witnesses, and personal injury journals.
Duty of Care
The duty of care is a legal responsibility for individuals and businesses to prevent harm to others. Property owners and drivers owe a duty of care to ensure the safety of others. Liability for injuries requires proving this duty, breach, and direct causation of damages. In addition, your injuries must be severe enough to warrant compensation. For example, whiplash is considered a minor injury but can still cause headaches, neck pain, and loss of range of motion. It is essential to consult with a law firm specializing in personal injury about the specifics of your case.
Breach of Duty
For a successful personal injury claim, it is necessary to establish that the defendant owed you a duty of care. Generally, this means they must act like a reasonable person would under similar circumstances. This is a legal standard that juries use to determine negligence.
For instance, drivers must follow traffic laws and operate their vehicles safely to avoid causing accidents. When a driver runs a red light, this violates their duty of care and can cause a car accident.
To recover damages, you must prove that the defendant’s breach of duty is the direct cause of your injury. For example, if the defendant failed to fix a broken step that you fell over and injured you, they may be responsible for your medical bills, lost income, and other expenses. Moreover, you must show that these losses are compensable under the law. For this reason, keeping track of your losses and documenting them with receipts and pay stubs is essential.
Damages
Damages are monetary compensation awarded to compensate victims for their losses. These include medical bills, lost income from time off work, property damage, and more. A personal injury lawyer will know how to correctly calculate damages so that you can get the maximum payout possible.
Whether or not you have a claim depends on the severity of your injuries. Even minor injuries, like whiplash, can significantly impact your life.
To win a personal injury case, you need to prove that the other party breached their duty of care and that this caused your injuries. You also need to demonstrate that these injuries led to your losses. This level of proof is known as the preponderance of the evidence. It’s a much higher burden of proof than the beyond-a-reasonable doubt standard required in criminal cases. This makes a successful personal injury claim more difficult but not impossible. However, you need to have strong evidence and a solid legal team on your side.
Statute of Limitations
To have a valid personal injury claim, you must have real and lasting injuries, both economic and non-economic. You must also be able to prove the responsible party breached their duty of care by violating traffic laws or failing to treat your condition according to accepted standards.
In addition, there is a legal time limit on all lawsuits and claims known as the statute of limitations. This is intended to encourage people with valid claims to pursue them within a reasonable time. It also helps to prevent defendants from waiting until a case is stale, at which point they might have lost the evidence necessary to disprove the claim. This is a fundamental principle of all law. A lawyer can help you understand your state’s particular rules and regulations. This information will also influence how your attorney approaches your case. A lawsuit against the responsible party must be filed within two years of the accident or injury. There are some exceptions to this rule, though.