What sort of work goes into choosing the best lawyers? Is it meeting a series of different law firms and seeing which attorney is able to cover the most bases? Or is it finding one that suits your budget the best? Turns out it’s a little bit of everything. Choosing an attorney that fits your needs is the most difficult and most necessary step on your way to solving personal injury settlements or filing for an appeal. Each field has its own unique professionals working night and day to help everyday people like yourself. Personal injury settlements can cross over and cover many different issues, so look below to see if any fit your situation.
Personal Injury Trials
If you feel you have been the victim of a personal injury, be it an accident in the workplace or medical malpractice when being treated by professional staff, you can sign up for personal injury settlements. Four to five percent of personal injury cases in the United States actually go to trial, with the vast majority settled pretrial. Cases with particular difficulties or a wide economic reach are most frequently brought to court.
Medical Malpractice
Personal injury settlements can cross over with medical malpractice. This term refers to medical treatment that becomes dangerous or life-threatening due to neglect or malicious intent. According to the Institute of Medicine, medical errors lead to approximately 100,000 fatalities every single year. This can include, but is not limited to — neglect on part of the medical staff as to extraneous conditions, poorly prescribed medication, withholding of surgical procedures and malicious intent.
Animal Bites
If you’ve been bitten by an animal, the first thing you should do is see a doctor to discourage the onset of bacteria or debilitating diseases. Animal training and safety is a hot-button issue in the United States, due to a stunning five million people suffering from dog bites every year. This has resulted in over 800,000 injuries in need of medical attention. Animal bites can also include cats and snakes, though they are not usually as severe or as common.
Environmental Accidents
The CPSC has reported amusement park rides causing over 7,000 accidents every single year. This can be due to mechanical failures as well as neglect on the part of workers to inform passengers of safe habits while riding. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has also been documenting the rates of death and significant injury at construction sites, seeing over 300,000 injuries and 1,000 deaths occurring on a yearly basis. Personal injury settlements are a resource you can use if you have been the victim of an injury and are unsure where to turn to.
Vehicle Crashes
Legal representation should properly fit the case at hand. Vehicular accidents see their own particular field explored due to the prevalence and unique conditions of the issue. Over 50,000 serious injuries and nearly 2,400 deaths occur due to motorcycle accidents yearly, combined with 3,000 injuries and 600 deaths in boating accidents. Distracted driving accounts for 10% of deaths in car accidents, while alcohol-related issues lead the pack at over 30%.
Choosing An Attorney
Before you file for a personal injury claim you need to create a list of questions to ask a personal injury lawyer. Pricing and court hearings are often at the forefront of any individual’s mind when seeking out personal injury settlements, followed by requests for paperwork, interviews and potential witnesses. Some attorneys specialize in specific fields and can better assist you due to prior expertise, such as a car accident lawyer or medical malpractice attorney. Choosing an attorney can take time, but the end result will be one you can count on.