Every year, more than 39 million Americans seek medical attention for a wide range of personal injuries. This statistic confirms that personal injuries are ever-prevalent in the United States – a concerning reality given how significantly a personal injury can diminish a person’s quality of life.
While it’s clear that personal injuries are extremely common, the question remains: what types of personal injury are the most common? Let’s take a look at the top three.
1. Car Accidents
Car accidents are the leading cause of personal injury resulting in lawsuits, with millions of car collisions occurring each year in the United States. While most only result in property damage, many can lead to mild or severe injuries.
Most car crashes are caused by one or more drivers failing to follow the rules of the road (e.g., texting while driving, driving while intoxicated). Drivers who are deemed “at fault” in collisions can face financial responsibility for the injuries they caused.
In some cases, determining who is at fault can be difficult. This is why it’s so important for those who have been in car accidents to recruit reputable legal counsel, such as the experts at the Law Offices of Kamela James, to help build your case.
2. Slips and Falls
Another common form of personal injury case is slip and fall accidents. They are a less obvious but still extremely hazardous form of personal injury case. Slip and fall incidents can result in injuries to the head, neck, back, arms, legs, and hips. Depending on the severity of the injuries sustained, victims may have to be out of work for several weeks at a time, resulting in a loss of income.
Organizations and individuals are expected to keep their premises safe and hazard-free to avoid situations like these. When someone falls and hurts themselves due to the property owner’s negligence, it can be grounds for a personal injury lawsuit.
3. Medical Malpractice
Unfortunately, medical malpractice is an all-too-common reality in the United States. Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other healthcare professional omits or neglects to provide the appropriate treatment, resulting in harm or injury to their patient. As reported by the Medical Malpractice Center, there are roughly 15,000 to 19,000 medical malpractice lawsuits filed against medical professionals each year in the United States.
Medical malpractice can come in various forms. It could be prescribing the wrong medication or the incorrect dosage. It could be failing to diagnose a life-threatening condition, misdiagnosing a patient, or failing to exercise the proper care in a surgery that leads to botched results (including in cosmetic surgeries).
In order to have a legitimate medical malpractice lawsuit, three criteria must be met:
• There must have been a failure to meet standards of care
• There must have been an injury resulting directly from negligence
• The injury must have caused significant damages
No matter the type of personal injury case, a victim’s life can be changed forever in the wake of an event like this. Whether it was the result of a car crash, a slip and fall, or a medical malpractice, it’s vital that personal injury victims seek adequate legal counsel to get the compensation they deserve for their suffering.
