What Is a Personal Injury Case?

Most people are familiar with the flashes of criminal law on television, but there’s another layer to the legal system that most people understand very little about — civil law.

Civil law applies to disputes between people or organizations where someone was injured in some capacity by the wrongful action of another person, group of people, or organization. The injury can include physical injuries, mental anguish, and financial expenses, among many others.

Criminal Law vs. Civil Law

Criminal and civil law often overlap, but they can coexist separately as well. Civil cases can only result in fines to the at-fault party, while criminal cases can result in fines, jail time, and other penalties.

Here are a few examples of actions that result in criminal violations:

• Assault and murder
• Theft or larceny
• Tax evasion
• Driving while under the influence
• Drug possession

Here are some examples of civil violations:

• Discrimination in the workplace
• Negligence
• Medical malpractice
• Property damage
• Elder abuse

As you can see, both types of violations can result from the same situation. For example, if someone is driving while under the influence and causes an accident, that person may face jail time from the government and civil penalties from the victimized party.

The main difference is whether or not a criminal law was broken. If a person or organization only caused damage to another person or organization without breaking a local, state, or federal criminal law, it may have violated a civil law under certain conditions.

What Is a Personal Injury Case?

Personal injury law exists as a subset of civil law, describing situations where someone is harmed by the action or inaction of an individual or organization. This includes car accidents, slip and falls, workplace accidents, and product liability violations, along with many others. 

This type of case can result in only financial compensation to the victimized party. They range based on the type of violation, severity, and many other factors, but major cases have recovered millions in restitution. 

Are Car Accident Cases Part of Personal Injury Law?

Yes, and they’re one of the most common injury law cases. They can result in bodily injury and property damage, although property damage is much more likely. 

Here are a few examples of car accident personal injury cases:

• Fender benders
• Sideswipes
• Multi-vehicle pileups
• Pedestrian accidents
• Collisions involving large trucks and semis
• Incidents involving a collision with public transportation

Car accident cases can get complicated. For the best results, you might need to team up with an attorney.

What Is a Slip and Fall Accident?

Hazardous conditions can cause us to lose our footing and fall. In some cases, it’s a simple mistake, but all too often, a third party’s negligence creates a hazard that leaves someone injured.

Here are a few examples of this:

• The owner or relevant responsible party of a grocery store fails to notice and clean a liquid spill before someone slips and suffers an injury
• The owner of an apartment complex failed to alleviate icy walking conditions, and someone slips
• The owner of an outdoor brewery’s lack of maintenance creates a slippery slope that injures someone

This type of case falls under the broader umbrella of premises liability law. Basically, if you believe that a property owner, landlord, or other relevant party was responsible for the hazard that left you injured, you could be entitled to legal compensation.

What Is an Example of a Product Liability Lawsuit?

Product liability law protects consumers from manufacturers, retailers, and other organizations along the supply chain that fail to properly safety test their products. It applies to food, medicine, electronics, and other products.

Morgan and Morgan has advocated for the victims of defective airbags, military earplugs, toxic baby food, and many more. If you were harmed by a defective or dangerous product under normal circumstances, we want to help you recover.

Are Workplace Accidents Covered Under Personal Injury Law?

Yes, but certain restrictions apply to filing a case. Workplace accidents are covered by workers’ compensation insurance should cover the financial impact of your injury. Still, there are many situations where an employer wrongfully denies this insurance or the provider itself tries to diminish the victim's payout.

Call Morgan and Morgan today!

Finding yourself injured after an accident you didn’t cause comes with a lot of emotions. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, but know that you have a friend, ally, and powerful legal ally in Morgan and Morgan.

With an extensive track record of success, it’s easy to see why so many people trust our team to advocate for their civil rights. Complete our free, no-risk case evaluation to get started.