Personal Injury

If another driver was careless, whether by speeding, texting, running a light, or driving impaired, and that carelessness caused your injuries, you may have a claim. A claim can help cover medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Drivers are not the only ones who can bring one: passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists hurt in a crash may have claims too, sometimes against a vehicle owner, an employer, or a company responsible for a defective part or a dangerous road.

The Core Question

Who was careless?

and did it cause your injuries

Who Can Bring a Claim

Drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists

Property owners and businesses have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe. If you were hurt because of a hazard such as a wet floor, broken stairs, poor lighting, ice, or an uneven walkway, and the owner knew or should have known about it but failed to fix it or warn you, you may have a claim. These cases come up in stores, restaurants, apartment buildings, parking lots, and public sidewalks.

The Core Question

Did they know?

or should they have known about the hazard

Common Hazards

Wet floors, ice, broken stairs, poor lighting

Doctors, nurses, hospitals, and other providers are expected to meet the accepted standard of care. If a provider missed or delayed a diagnosis, made a surgical or medication error, or failed to properly monitor or treat you, and that mistake caused harm, you may have a claim. A bad outcome on its own is not malpractice. The question is whether the care fell below what a reasonable provider would have done and whether that failure made you worse off.

The Core Question

Standard of care

was it met, and did the failure cause harm

Common Errors

Missed diagnoses, surgical and medication mistakes

Survivors of sexual abuse may have a claim against the person who abused them and, often, against the institution that allowed it to happen. Schools, religious organizations, youth programs, employers, and care facilities can be held responsible when they failed to screen, supervise, or remove someone they knew or should have known was a danger. These claims seek compensation for the lasting emotional, psychological, and physical harm that abuse causes.

Who May Be Responsible

The institution

as well as the abuser

Common Settings

Schools, churches, youth programs, care facilities

Construction sites are among the most dangerous places to work. If you were hurt in a fall from a ladder or scaffold, struck by a falling object, injured by heavy equipment, or harmed by an unsafe site condition, you may have a claim beyond workers’ compensation. Property owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and equipment manufacturers can be responsible when they fail to provide proper safety equipment or keep the site safe.

Who May Be Responsible

Owners & contractors

not just your employer

Common Accidents

Falls, falling objects, equipment injuries

Companies that design, make, and sell products are responsible for making them reasonably safe. If you were hurt by a product that was badly made, dangerously designed, or sold without adequate warnings or instructions, you may have a claim against the manufacturer, distributor, or seller. These cases can involve anything from vehicles and power tools to medical devices, medications, and everyday household goods.

Types of Defect

3

manufacturing, design, warning

Who May Be Responsible

Manufacturers, distributors, sellers