Personal injuries come in many forms and from a variety of events. As you evaluate whether or not to sue the party or parties involved, let’s discuss the reasons to hire a personal injury attorney Woodbridge, VA, and the surrounding area.
The following is a listing of the types of personal injuries you can sustain and why you should discuss the matter with an attorney.
Medical malpractice
Victims of medical malpractice can suffer lifelong injuries that both reduce the quality of life of the victim and rack up hefty medical bills. First you need to evaluate whether or not you have been the victim of medical malpractice. The court determines this by whether or not your care giver was “negligent” or did not provide proper care. One way of gauging this is to ask whether or not you would have received the same care from another medical professional in the same position.
Negligence can be in the form of a breach of private health information that was confidential between you and your doctor. It can also be from a provider lacking proper consent for care provided. Poor care doesn’t have to be some sort of botched surgery but can be as simple as a misdiagnosis.
One thing to be aware of when it comes to medical malpractice is that there is a statute of limitations requiring you to file a claim within a certain time period following an incident. In Virginia, that statute is two years for injury to a person. This makes it important for you to speak with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to ensure you don’t miss this window.
Car accident
Injuries from a car accident can range from minor to debilitating. It is in your best interest to provide little details to the insurance company about your injuries before seeking counsel and medical care.
What might seem minor at first, can end up being a severe injury once you learn more and are fully evaluated. You don’t want to be on record with an insurance company saying you didn’t sustain serious injury. The opposing party can use this information against you later.
Car accidents also have lasting mental injuries. Some drivers become extremely paranoid or jittery when driving following an accident. These mental injuries are very real. You should not ignore them following an accident and should discuss them with an attorney.
Assault
Assault lawsuits are filed when an individual intentionally harms another. Generally, these sorts of lawsuits are accompanied by a criminal case. If your perpetrator has faced criminal charges, that doesn’t mean you have received proper restitution.
An attorney can evaluate the circumstances and your injuries to help you build a lawsuit against the person who harmed you.
Dog bites
A dog’s owner is financially responsible for damages the dog inflicts on others. States differ on whether or not there must be previous signs of aggression from the dog.
Some states require that the owners face liability for injuries the dog inflicts, regardless of past aggression. Other states require there to be proof that the owners saw previous aggression and did nothing about it.
Seeking legal advice in the case of a dog bite is wise as a dog bite case can be more complicated than it might seem.
Defamation
While defamation falls under personal injury, it is not a bodily injury like the other claims that fall under the same category. Defamation by libel or slander is when your reputation has been harmed.
To have a defamation suit, an individual must prove that the offending party made untrue statements about them. You then must prove that you incurred financial losses from these statements. Celebrities and public officials must prove actual malice to prove defamation. An attorney will be able to help you sort through the details to see if you have a case.
Multiple parties involved in accident
In some cases, you’ll have multiple parties involved in an accident. Take for example a slip and fall case. The building owner could be at fault along with the cleaning company that omitted to put out the proper signage.
You should hire an attorney when you have a case involving multiple parties. A personal injury attorney in Woodbridge, Virginia, can help you navigate the complicated situations involved in multiple party claims.
Consulting with an attorney as soon as possible following such an injury is wise. This is because the other parties involved will probably have attorneys representing them. You don’t want to be part of conversations concerning your accident before retaining counsel to ensure the viability of your lawsuit.
Working with Gore & Kuperman
The attorneys of Gore & Kuperman have as much as 35 years of experience in personal injury law. We have worked with a variety of clients and won many cases making us well positioned to serve as your personal injury attorney in Woodbridge, Virginia.
Our fees are reasonable and discussed early in conversations so there is no guessing needed on your part. We work with our clients by phone or in person based on preference. It’s time to stop putting off your personal injury claim and talk to the experts at Gore & Kuperman.
This blog post is not legal advice, nor is it intended to be used as such. Specific case facts should be discussed with an attorney.