What Constitutes a Personal Injury?
The legal definition of negligence is “conduct that falls below the standards of behavior established by law for the protection of others against unreasonable risk of harm.” In the realm of personal injury, someone is negligent if they fail to take the measures a reasonable person would to keep others out of harm’s way – especially if they were aware that the dangerous conditions existed.
For example, let’s say you’re dining at a restaurant. You get up and walk toward the bathroom, when all of a sudden you slip on a wet spot on the floor, breaking your ankle and cracking your head. If you slipped because the storeowner just finished mopping and didn’t post a warning sign, that’s considered a negligent act and you could be entitled to compensation.
To win a personal injury negligence case, there are four elements you must prove:
- The defendant had a duty of care to you
- The defendant failed to provide that duty of care
- The defendant’s negligence led to the your injury
- There is an actual injury that can be documented
What benefits am I able to collect?
If you’ve been injured due to another party’s negligence, you may be entitled to recovery of hospital bills, lost wages, mental anguish, loss of future earning capacity, and more. To recoup the compensation you deserve, it’s imperative you or a loved one contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after the accident.
The personal injury attorney’s job is to gather evidence that supports your negligence claim and negotiate a fair settlement from the insurance company of the person you’re suing. Negligence cases don’t go to court as often as many people think. Most settlements are negotiated outside the courtroom, saving you time and stress. For more information about the personal injury legal process, click here.
What are some other common personal injury lawsuits?
At Goodwin & Scieszka, we handle every type of personal injury lawsuit. Many of the cases we adjudicate stem from the following types of injuries:
- Slip and Fall
- Defective Product
- Motor Vehicle Accident
- Boating Accident
- Dog Bite
- Medical Malpractice
- Birth Trauma
If you’ve been injured and believe you’re entitled to compensation, contact Goodwin & Scieszka today. We’ve been investigating and winning personal injury cases for over 30 years, recovering millions of dollars for our clients across the Detroit area.
We know injuries can disrupt lives in unimaginable ways. Nobody deserves to spend his life in pain, misery and debt due to an accident – especially if the accident wasn’t even caused by his own wrongdoing. If you’re suffering because someone else failed to uphold his duty of care to you, it’s important you call us right away so we can help you recover the compensation needed to make you whole again.
We have been named Michigan Super Lawyers in each of the past 8 years, a testament to our impeccable record, tough legal skills and compassion for our victims. We’re brave enough to go after the big insurance companies and rich corporations, and we never settle for less than what you deserve. And most importantly: we don’t charge a legal fee unless we win money for you.