Personal Injury

Personal injury is any physical or mental injury suffered by an individual that is the result of another party’s negligence or wrongful act-- including acts made by individuals, small or large companies, government entities, and other organizations. Personal injury occurs in a wide variety of ways, and can include:

• Auto, aviation, bicycle, boat, motorcycle, railroad, and trucking accidents
• Construction/workplace accidents
• Dangerous or defective products  
• Medical malpractice
• Nursing home abuse and neglect  
• Toxic/chemical exposure
• Wrongful death—This type of claim may be filed by a family member, spouse, benefactor or certain other parties on behalf of the victim.

Depending upon the particular circumstances of your case, compensation for a personal injury can include coverage for current and projected medical expenses, lost income such as wages, bonuses, overtime pay and promotional pay, and loss of estimated future income that has been compromised as a result of your accident. Your spouse may also be entitled to the value of your services, both past and future, that have been lost as the result of your accident. There is no formula that a jury or a judge is required to use in order to determine these damages and the compensation is based on an individual case basis.

Statute of Limitations

Every state has certain time limits, called statutes of limitations, that govern the period during which a personal injury claim can be filed. When the statute of limitations expires on your case, you simply don't have a case anymore.

Statutes of limitations differ not only from state to state, but also in regard to the kinds of lawsuits involved. In some states, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice, suits against governmental agencies, and wrongful death actions is shorter than that for other types of personal injury cases. In general, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is from one to three years, beginning at the time of the accident. There are some circumstances, however, that will annul the statute of limitations when the harm is not discovered right away; i.e. when a lung cancer victim files for damages caused by work-related toxic chemical inhalation that occurred decades ago. 

Protecting Your Legal Rights

If you or a loved one has suffered personal injury as the result of another’s negligence or intentional misdoing, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your emotional and physical damages from those responsible for your injuries. At Williams & Brown, our experienced personal injury attorneys can help level the playing field and protect your legal rights by fighting for the medical care and compensation you deserve. Please contact us today for a free consultation.