What are the Most Common Causes of Personal Injuries?
Millions of people suffer personal injuries every year; keeping personal injury lawyers busy fighting on behalf of their clients. Personal injuries happen in all kinds of circumstances and for all kinds of reasons. In some cases, a personal injury occurs because of the victim’s own carelessness; in others, the accident was the fault of a negligent property owner, physician or car driver.
If you or a loved one was injured through no fault of your own (even if it was partially your fault), contact a personal injury lawyer today. He or she will examine the circumstances around your accident and personal injury and may be able to fight for damages.
How is “fault” determined in WA personal injury cases?
When a person is injured in an accident and a claim is made, insurance companies must first decide who is at fault in the accident. If the case is brought to trial, a jury will be assigned the task of determining fault. In some cases, the injured party will be assigned a certain degree of fault.
In Washington, fault can be shared in a personal injury case. Damages are awarded based on contributory fault law which says that you may only be awarded damages proportionate to the percentage of fault contributed by the defendant and nothing for the amount of fault that you contributed.
What are the most common causes of personal injuries?
Car accidents: Car accidents are the most common cause of personal injuries and personal injury cases. More than six million car accidents happen each year; injuring millions of drivers, passengers, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Slip, trip, and fall accidents: According to the National Floor Safety Institute, falls account for more than eight million hospital emergency room (ER) visits each year. At 21 percent, this is the leading cause of visits to the ER. Slip and fall accidents represent 12 percent of all falls and account for an additional one million hospital visits each year. A slip, trip and fall accident can happen anywhere and cause serious personal injuries.
Medical malpractice: Thousands of Americans are injured through medical malpractice every year. When a medical facility or medical provider acts negligently by failing to perform in a manner that meets an established “duty of care”, a medical malpractice lawsuit may be in order. Common examples include improper administration of prescription drugs, surgical errors and delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis.
Wrongful death: A wrongful death can occur in many different circumstances. Any deaths caused by the negligence or intentional harm of another person or organization may be classified as a wrongful death. Some examples include medical malpractice, car accident, childhood sports injury and nursing home abuse.
Defective products: Consumers assume that when they purchase a product it will be safe to use as the manufacturer intended. In some cases, however, the product has serious manufacturing defects that make it unsafe to use. When these defects cause a personal injury, a product liability lawsuit may be brought by an attorney.
If you or a loved one is dealing with an accident or injury, you have enough on your plate. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the justice and compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times bigger with the help of a lawyer. Call the skilled personal injury attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
