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Personal Injury Law
Personal injury law covers a broad spectrum of issues when one has been physically or emotionally injured, and/or personal property has been damaged. In legal circles, personal injury law is also known as "tort" law, the French word for "wrong." Personal injury or "tort" law is the body of law that allows one to be compensated in the event that someone's carelessness, recklessness or intentional misconduct injures or damages you or your personal belongings.
Automobile accidents are classic examples of the types of events covered by tort law. If someone hits the back of your car while you are stopped at a red light, that person commits a tort, and is referred to as the "tortfeasor" (French for "wrongdoer").
In America that person is generally referred to as the "defendant" once a lawsuit is filed, and the person harmed is called a "plaintiff" or "claimant." State law usually governs personal injury lawsuits, but federal law may apply in certain circumstances. For example, an injury suffered on federal property may be covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act, or liability for injuries suffered in an airplane crash may be governed by international treaties. A claim for personal injury must be accompanied by an injury that can be compensated. In other words, one must prove an injury in order to seek monetary damages. For example, if you were to slip and fall due to someone else's fault or negligence, you could not recover damages if you were not injured in some way.
The law of personal injury is concerned with determining who may be responsible (who is "liable," or has "liability") for causing injury and how much the responsible party should be required to pay for any damages resulting from the injury. Personal injury law can be classified in the following three broad categories, or degrees of fault: negligence, intentional torts and strict liability torts. Each category is comprised of different types of legal wrongs (or "causes of action"), and indicates a different "standard of care" that may apply to a given incident.
In all matters involving personal injury it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and to file a lawsuit prior to the deadline imposed by the statute of limitations. If you or a loved one is a victim of personal injuries, call now. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don't delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.
Statue of Limitations
A law establishing the time limit within which a lawsuit must be brought is called a statute of limitation. Different types of cases have different statutes of limitation. Knowing which statute of limitation applies is critical, since if a lawsuit is not brought within the time limit that applies to the case, the right to sue and recover damages is forever lost. The statute of limitations for a personal injury lawsuit is usually relatively short and subject to a number of factors.
There are also different exceptions that may apply for each type of case, which may extend the statute of limitations. Of course, regardless of the possible availability of an exception, it is always beneficial to bring a lawsuit as soon as it is practical to do so, since the availability (and memory) of witnesses to an accident and related physical evidence is much greater shortly after an accident than after years have passed. It is critical that you contact an attorney immediately after suffering any injury so that the appropriate statute of limitations can be determined. At the law offices of David Wieder, we make sure to explore all aspects of your case as soon as possible to ensure that no claims are lost as a result of untimely action.
In all matters involving personal injury it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and to file a lawsuit prior to the deadline imposed by the statute of limitations. If you or a loved one is a victim of personal injuries, call us now at (305) 371-7111.The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don't delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.