Personal Injury claims: You have a right to know...
Personal injury claims stem from injuries that occur as a result of the fault of another party. The bulk of those claims result from automobile accidents, product defects, slip-and-fall claims, and professional negligence. To recover for personal injuries, the injured party must establish liability and damages.
To establish liability, the injured party must show the other party committed some act of negligence or misconduct and the misconduct caused the claimant's injuries.
Once liability is established, the injured party is entitled to compensatory damages which under the law are intended to "make the injured party whole again." These damages include medical expenses, pain and suffering and mental anguish, and wage loss past, present and future.
The injured party may also be entitled to damages for potential wage loss. For example, if an individual with only a high school education is a laborer with no other skills, his ability to obtain a job will be significantly impacted throughout his whole life since employers may be unwilling to hire him because of a past injury. He is entitled to be compensated for this negligent impact on his life.
The bulk of personal injury claims are covered by liability insurance.
Disclaimer: - These opinions represent a generalization based upon Pennsylvania law as of Nov. 1, 2014. You should consult an attorney and discuss your specific circumstances before taking any action.