Don’t Let an Injury Become a Financial Burden
There are any number of ways you could sustain an injury. You could get hurt at work, in a car accident or through the negligence of a medical professional. Many times, an injury is serious enough that it causes you financial hardship, either through causing you large medical bills or preventing you from working for a period of time. When you are injured and it is someone else’s fault, it may be a good idea to file a lawsuit to try to recoup expenses that you incur. Here is a synopsis of some of the most common accidents and how an attorney might help you.
The vast majority of personal injury lawsuits, 52%, involve automobile accidents. When you are injured in a car accident that is someone else’s fault, things can get complicated. Initially, your health insurance will cover you for the injuries you sustained, but your insurer will likely try to recoup its costs by suing the driver who caused the accident. You may also want to file suit if the insurer balks at covering other costs that may be involved in the crash. A lawsuit may also be necessary if your costs exceed the other person’s insurance coverage, especially if that person has significant assets.
Another common cause of personal injuries is medical malpractice. Malpractice does not necessarily mean that a doctor or other medical staff person was negligent. Simple mistakes can also be considered malpractice. Approximately 20,000 malpractice claims are filed each year, so it is not tremendously common. The good news is that hospitals and other medical practices often are very eager to settle malpractice cases because they do not want the negative publicity. Working with an attorney who specializes in medical malpractice can help you get a settlement or court judgment to make you whole after an injury caused by a health professional
One other common category of injuries are ones that occur in the workplace. These can be acute injuries caused by accidents or chronic injuries that are caused by repetitive motions. Either injury can be devastating and can cause you to miss work. And companies sometimes use these accidents, to which they may have contributed, as a reason to terminate you. If you have a work related injury, it is very important that you speak with an attorney to ensure that your rights are being protected.
It’s never any fun getting injured, no matter what the cause, and it can be even less fun if your injury causes you financial hardship. People often call personal injury attorneys “ambulance chasers,” but if you are injured, you may be entitled to compensation, and using an attorney and filing a lawsuit may in some cases be the only way to get the financial assistance you deserve.
