Personal injuries are serious legal claims that cause problems and frustration to people’s lives. People who have suffered an accidental injury from other parties’ negligence could lose their job or have severe impairments torturing them for years after the accident. An Orange County injury attorney is the only person that could help you put the parts of the puzzle together and defend your rights against liable parties.
Looking into the reasons to sue for personal injuries you have suffered from, it would be better to know more about the eligibility requirements. You also need to be informed about the type of accidents you can sue others for personal injury and expect recovery.
Eligibility Requirements for a Lawsuit
If you believe you have been involved in an accident causing you serious injuries, you can sue the liable parties. These could be:
Physical Persons
Only physical persons have the right to sue for personal injuries. These have to be directly related to the accident and cause measurable damage that limits your ability to deal with your everyday life.
In all circumstances, you must have the legal capacity to file a lawsuit. You must be a US citizen or legal permanent resident, be over 18 years old, and not be sentenced for any crime that bans your civil rights. If you are a minor (less than 18 years old) and need to sue for personal injury, you may do so through your legal custodian or parent.
Who You Can Sue for Personal Injury?
Person
Private property owners could be liable for damages incurred to you when legally passing through their premises.
Business
Businesses may also be sued when they suffer from an accident in their offices or workplace. It could be your employer or a restaurant you have stepped in and fell by accident due to the owner’s negligence.
Legal Grounds for Suing Somebody for Personal Injury
The legal grounds to file for a lawsuit against a person or a business are:
Car Accidents
You may claim a personal injury caused to you by a car accident. Either a passenger, driver, or pedestrian, you can sue the liable parties for reckless driving. That gives you the chance to claim your damage recovery from their insurers or directly from them.
Stray Animals Assault and Bites
Dog bites are the most frequent cause of personal injuries in private properties. All homeowners who allow you to pass and stay through their property can be sued if their dogs assault you and cause you injuries.
Accidental Falls and Accidents on a Third Party Property
It’s the most common type of personal injury case occurring on private properties or public buildings. You may even sue the municipal authorities for their negligence to maintain the pavements or the roads where you had an accidental fall.
How Can a Lawyer Help With Suing for a Personal Accident?
An attorney would be the right consultant when you want to identify the persons or entities you need to sue for your personal accident liable for your injuries. These are the actions a lawyer could take to help you towards filing a successful lawsuit:
Receives the Police Report
The Police report is an important document to have. It describes the accident conditions and mentions all parties’ statements about it. Having the Police report would be the first step to build your case in the courthouse.
Gets Copies of Your Medical Records
Your attorney has every right to access your medical records upon your permission. Getting copies of them, he can prove the damage you have suffered from your accident and claim for recovery through the trial.
Takes Pictures from the Scene
A lawyer can have his investigation team collect pictures and other evidence from the accident scene. You need to move quickly and hire a lawyer to ensure that the other party will not falsify the evidence or repair any defective equipment that caused your accident in the first place.
Summons Witnesses to Testify
When suffering a personal injury in a public place, there are more chances for witnesses to pass by and gather around the scene. If you have taken their names, your lawyer can ask them to testify on your behalf in a court of law. It’s a piece of additional evidence to build your case and ask for a damage recovery from the liable parties.
Calculates Your Income Loss
A personal injury case always has side effects on your family life and employment. Your attorney can calculate the lost wages and the family burden the accident has already caused you in monetary terms.
Only a trained lawyer can give you the proper consultation about suing the liable parties for your injuries and find a way to recover from your accident.