What Is a Personal Injury Lawyer?

If you’ve been injured or been the victim of an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may have been advised to seek out a personal injury lawyer. But just what exactly are personal injury lawyers and what do they do?

First of all, let’s look at what counts as a personal injury. This simple term covers any damage done to you and your health, as opposed to damage to your property, such as your car or home. This may include a broken bone, a burn or something less obvious, like mental anguish. The crux of any personal injury case is fault. If there is a party to blame, you can initiate a personal injury lawsuit or attempt to negotiate a settlement without having to resort to a court case.

As an example, let’s consider a car accident: if you are rear-ended by another driver on the road because they weren’t paying due attention, they may be held liable for any damage to your car along with any injuries you sustain. If you suffer whiplash and require a trip to the hospital for check-ups, then physiotherapy and potentially also chiropractic treatment, you may be able to recover all of these expenses as well as any time you had to take off work. There are other costs to consider as well, such as childcare during your medical appointments. Even though a car accident like this can seem minor, you can see that the costs quickly start to mount up. We believe it’s unfair for you to cover all of these inconveniences yourself if you haven’t done anything wrong. And just imagine how much this situation escalates if the personal injury in question is more serious. This is where personal injury lawyers step in.

Just like any lawyer, personal injury lawyers have to complete a degree then pass the bar exam. Personal injury lawyers are simply lawyers that have chosen to specialize in a certain area of tort law, which is the law of fault. This simply refers to any civil wrong done to a plaintiff (the victim) that has resulted in their suffering. If you have been the victim of another party’s negligence, such as a company failing to provide a safe product or a service provider failing to ensure a safe environment for consumers, your personal injury lawyer can represent your rights in settlement negotiations or at court.

If you’re looking for a personal injury lawyer in California, look no further than Scranton Law. With expertise in personal injury cases of all sizes, we’ll quickly be able to tell you if you have a case. Get in touch today so we can arrange a free no-obligation consultation.