Data from the CDC revealed that unintentional injuries killed 173,040 people in the US in 2019. That places accidental injuries in the third spot of leading causes of death in the country. However, such injuries affect millions of other Americans each year.
What’s even worse is that many of those accidents were due to other people’s actions or inactions. These are the incidents that give rise to personal injury cases.
Anyone harmed by another person or party has the right to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit. However, they need to prove the other party indeed caused the injury. That’s why victims should seek the help of a personal injury attorney right away.
Personal injury lawyers specialize in fighting for the rights of accident victims. Below we’ll take a closer look at the most common types of cases they handle, so be sure to read on.
1. Car Accident Injuries
As per National Safety Council estimates, road crashes injured 4.8 million people in 2020. These crashes also claimed the lives of an estimated 42,060 individuals. All in all, these incidents resulted in economic losses of approximately $474 billion.
All that makes car crashes among the leading causes of common personal injuries.
2. Pedestrian Accident Injuries
In 2019, pedestrian deaths accounted for 17% of motor vehicle crash fatalities in the US. During that year alone, road accidents claimed the lives of 6,205 pedestrians. What’s more, that’s a 51% increase from the count back in 2009.
3. Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Since 2015, more than 5,000 motorcyclists die in crashes in the US each year. That’s on top of more than 80,000 motorcycle riders and passengers who sustain injuries.
Those numbers are no doubt lower than those for light vehicles. However, that’s partly due to the US having fewer registered motorcycles. Still, a huge chunk of motorcycle-related crashes results in injuries, deaths, or both.
As such, motorcycle accidents are also common grounds for personal injury lawsuits. Get free from lawsuits with the help of Oakland motorcycle accident lawyer.
4. Truck Accident Injuries
The 2020 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported fewer crashes than the NSC. For example, the NHTSA’s preliminary findings showed there were 38,680 road deaths in 2020. Of these, large trucks had involvement in 4,895 fatalities.
Granted, all those figures show an estimated decrease from the NHTSA’s 2019 report. However, those are still thousands of deaths too many. As such, truck crash injuries are still some of the most common examples of personal injuries.
What’s more, truck accidents can lead to much more severe injuries. After all, the average big rig is around 20 to 30 times heavier than typical passenger vehicles.
5. Injuries Due to Unsafe Premises
Accidents that occur in properties give rise to premises liability cases.
An example is when a customer slips, trips, or falls on a commercial property. If this was due to the property owner’s negligence, the victim could file a personal injury claim. The owner could be at fault if they didn’t address the cause, such as a wet or slippery floor.
Defective building parts and a lack of property security can also give rise to such cases. Either way, the injured parties have the right to a personal injury settlement claim.
6. Injuries Caused by Defective or Unsafe Products
In May 2021, the number of federal civil product liability cases in the US totaled 5,021. That accounts for a staggering 28.4% of all civil cases filed in federal courts for that month.
That’s already a lot, but that count doesn’t even include cases filed in state courts.
In any case, product liabilities often occur due to products that harm their users. A perfect example is a defective product, such as one that bursts into flames or explodes.
Safety defects, especially with vehicles, are also typical grounds for such cases. These are so common the NHTSA recalled 390 million vehicles since 1966 due to safety defects. That’s on top of recalling 46 million tires and 42 million car seats.
So, it’s no wonder that many users victimized by such products often hire a personal injury lawyer.
7. Medical Errors and Negligence
Some reports estimate that medical errors result in 210,000 to 440,000 patient deaths in the US every year. If this range were on-point, medical mistakes would be the third leading cause of death.
Even if such errors don’t cause fatalities, they can still lead to major trauma. They can also result in other chronic health conditions. As such, most cases of medical mistakes and negligence cause harm or injury to patients.
Wrong diagnoses and erroneous medication prescriptions are some examples of such personal injuries. There are even some cases in which surgery patients have had medical tools left inside them.
8. Animal-Caused Injuries
Experts estimate that dogs bite over 4.5 million people in the US each year. Of these, close to 18% or 800,000 bitten individuals require medical attention. Children, in turn, account for about half of all dog bite cases.
Cat bites and scratches are also common and can cause diseases in humans too. The cat-scratch disease (CSD), caused by a bacterium that an estimated 40% of cats carry, is one example.
In people, CSD can cause swelling, redness, lesions, and pus in the scratched area. It can also cause fevers, headaches, fatigue, and poor appetite.
Either way, the person who takes care of that cat or dog can be liable for their pet’s actions. In this case, the one who sustained the bite or scratch can file for an animal bite personal injury claim.
9. Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries are injuries that cause permanent damage to the patient. They’re so severe they prevent victims from working or living their lives to the fullest. Some examples include severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), spinal cord injuries, or amputations.
Many of the injury cases and causes we discussed above can lead to catastrophic injuries, too. For example, a motor vehicle crash can cause a person to develop brain or spinal cord injuries. Medical errors can also take the form of erroneous amputations.
In such cases, victims should hire a catastrophic injury lawyer as soon as possible. This way, their attorney can collect evidence immediately to prove who’s at fault. This also helps patients start their journey to recovery, even though it may only be partial.
Get Legal Help for Any of These Personal Injury Cases ASAP
If you or a loved one suffered injuries caused by someone else, call a personal injury lawyer right away. These legal professionals can help bring most personal injury cases to justice. What’s more, they offer free consultations and work on a no-win-no-fee basis.
The most important thing is not to delay seeking an attorney’s assistance. The sooner you hire one, the sooner they can file your claim or lawsuit on your behalf.
Interested in more informative guides like this? Then please take a look at our other recent posts!
