Marietta Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or someone you love recently suffered injury from a serious accident, you may be wondering if you are entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. The good news is, with the help of a personal injury attorney, you could be able to recover such compensation for both physical and emotional damages.
Personal injury law (or tort law) allows someone injured due to the negligence of another person or entity to recover money for their losses. If you are interested in protecting your legal rights and pursuing compensation after an accident or injury, get in touch with a Marietta personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
How do Personal Injuries Occur?
To be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit, an individual’s injury must meet certain criteria:
- The injury must have caused physical or mental damage, not just property damage;
- The injury must have been caused by the negligence of a third party, which could be another person, a company, or even a government agency;
- There must be recoverable losses, such as medical bills and lost wages.
Personal injuries that meet these criteria can occur in a number of ways. For example, injuries caused by car crashes, medical mistakes, sudden falls, and workplace accidents may all be considered personal injuries depending on the circumstances.
Another common cause of personal injury is an animal attack—in particular, a bite from a dog. It is important to keep in mind, though, that each state has different laws regarding animal-related injuries. In order to prove liability for an animal-related injury in Georgia, the injured person must show that the owner knew the animal was dangerous and failed to properly restrain their animal.
Different Types of Personal Injuries and Damages
Personal injuries can be life-altering. A traumatic injury to the brain, for example, can permanently change the way an individual thinks, feels, and behaves. In the short term or even the long term in severe cases, victims of a personal injury may be unable to return to work or complete their everyday activities.
Beyond brain injuries, other types of compensable injuries that a Marietta personal injury lawyer could help you recover for include:
- Whiplash;
- Burns;
- Broken bones and fractures;
- Neck or back injuries;
- Organ damage;
- Cuts and gashes;
- Limb amputations; and
- Diseases.
Most of the damages individuals recover from a personal injury case are “compensatory damages,” which are intended to compensate the victim for things like medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Personal injury victims may also receive compensation for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and mental anguish. Other damages, known as “punitive damages,” are intended to punish the defendant for outrageously careless actions, though these are not available in all cases.
How a Personal Injury Lawsuit Works
There are generally two ways to pursue a personal injury claim, with the first being a formal lawsuit. In a formal personal injury lawsuit, individuals can file a civil complaint against a person, business, or another third party, alleging that their negligence caused them an injury.
The second is a private settlement outside of court. In this case, a personal injury lawyer in Marietta could negotiate a compensation amount with the defendant, their lawyer, and the insurance company on the plaintiff’s behalf. If both the plaintiff and defendant come to a mutual agreement on a settlement amount, the defendant would be required to pay that amount of money. If not, the case may proceed to trial.
Contact a Marietta Personal Injury Lawyer
If a personal injury has negatively impacted your life, consider talking to a Marietta personal injury lawyer. Your attorney could walk you through the legal process, lay out your options, and make sure you are getting all the compensation you deserve. To schedule an initial consultation and get started on your case, call today.
