Your personal safety is your top priority. When you leave your house, you are cognizant of the many dangers you are likely to encounter. You are alert and conscientious as you drive, watchful when you pass by construction sites, and mindful of potential hazards in restaurants, hotels, shopping centers, and even your place of work. This is not always enough. Not everyone is as vigilant as you are on the road and the managers and supervisors charged with making public vendors safe do not always do their job.
If you have been injured in an accident that owes to the negligence or recklessness of another, there are a range of legal actions open to you.
7 Common Types of Personal Injury
Here are 7 of the most common kinds of personal injuries:
1. Car Crash
Some people will never understand why sending texts, speaking on the phone, and engaging in conversation with passengers while driving should not be done. If a distracted driver caused the car crash that has led to your injury, you should hold them accountable.
2. Bicycle Accident
More and more people are traveling by bicycle. Unfortunately, the infrastructure does not exist in many cities to support them. They are forced to travel on the same streets as motor vehicles. If you are a cyclist, your right to ride your bicycle in the street is protected by law. Not everyone likes this fact. Some motorists drive aggressively around cyclists, and this often leads to accidents. If you have been hit by a motorist, you have legal options.
3. Motorcycle Accident
Motorcycles are smaller and can be driven with more flexibility than other vehicles. The drivers of cars, trucks, and SUVs must pay attention to the indications and movements of motor cycle operators. Not doing so can lead to a serious accident.
4. Pedestrian Accident
There are motorists who drive too fast. They are in the habit of speeding in areas filled with pedestrians. Doing so makes it hard for them to respond quickly to traffic signs and traffic light changes. This can lead to an accident that causes the severe injury of the pedestrian.
5. Workplace Accident
You should feel safe and secure in your place of business. If you work in a space that is filled with potential hazards, you should be given adequate warning and the training and equipment to protect yourself from them. When the site or project manager fails to assess the onsite dangers, they put your well-being at risk.
6. Slip and Fall
When you go to a restaurant, hotel, bar, club, or other public venue, you should not have to worry about your personal safety. The manager and staff in such public spaces should never be too busy to clean up spills that can cause slip and falls. Nor should they ignore broken stairs and banisters or the hazard caused by loose wires and electrical outlets. These are the types of discrepancies that cause accidents, and they should be resolved immediately once they are discovered.
7. Construction Site Accident
You do not have to work on a construction site to be endangered by one. Managers of construction sites are required by law to protect the public from dangerous substances, equipment, and evolutions related to the building project. Failure to do so puts passers-by at risk.
Why You Need an Attorney
If you have been injured in an accident, your first move should be to contact a personal injury lawyer. You need not file a lawsuit straightaway. Representatives of the company responsible for the accident or the insurance company of the person who hit you may offer you a low-figure settlement. You should accept nothing or sign anything without first consulting with your lawyer. The main aim of all insurance companies is to pay out as little settlement money as possible. Their initial offer will be an attempt to resolve the matter quickly.
If your injuries were not that bad and the money they offer you covers your losses, it may be wise for you to take it. However, if you were badly hurt and thrown into financial difficulties because of the accident, then you may want to press for more.
The Financial Impact of Personal Injury
A personal injury can turn your life upside down. It can put you in dire financial straits and make it hard for you to get back to life as you knew it. If you were severely injured in the accident, you may need to spend months undergoing operations and procedures to make you well again. You may need to spend even more months in a course of physical rehabilitation. During this time, you will not be able to earn any money and the bills will continue to pile up. Even when you are ready to go back to your job, you may have to reduce the hours you work for medical reasons. Your personal injury may be so bad that you may need full-time assistance to get through your day.
A personal injury that leads to these kinds of life changes costs money. And you should not be forced to bear the burden alone. The people who caused the accident should be forced to offset the cost of it.
How Brisbane Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
Personal injury lawyers are trained in this area of tort law. The lawyer who takes your case will be able to gather the facts, introduce the personal and expert witnesses necessary, and bring the relevant bits of law to bear to get the outcome you deserve. If it is necessary to sue, your lawyer will work hard and intelligently to amass the kind of evidence, analysis, testimony, and argument that will get the respondent to settle the case. Insurance companies and businesses do not like personal injury trials. They will not want to risk a jury judgment. This will put your personal injury lawyer in a better position to negotiate a compensation package that is fair, adequate, and commensurate with all you have endured.
