Are Car Accidents Personal Injury Cases?

If you were to ask the average person what “personal injury” meant, they would almost certainly be able to give you a broad, general answer; the words themselves are pretty straightforward.

What happens, though, when you and another vehicle are on the side of the road, and you are waiting for the police and paramedics to arrive? If that back pain cause for alarm? Will that twinge in your neck become something more serious once the adrenaline has worn off? Maybe you even broke some bones, and are just curious whether that’s an expected part of a car accident, or if you have a legitimate personal injury case on your hand.

What is a Personal Injury Case?

As we alluded to earlier, the broad definition of a personal injury lawsuit is simple: An individual is injured through the fault of another person/entity. This can be either due to direct action, negligence, manufacturing errors, or other circumstances.

Classic examples of personal injury cases are as follows:

• A slip-and-fall injury due to no “wet floor” sign being posted
• A doctor neglecting a patient, causing them to develop a serious infection
• A faulty battery exploding, causing injury to those nearby

Car accidents, though, are a bit more complex. Yes, they are undeniably personal injury cases, but there’s a bit more to it than just suing the negligent party. Since injuries are so incredibly commonplace with car accidents, medical coverage is often part of regular vehicle insurance. The best thing to do immediately after an accident is get a full medical examination, and be sure to mention any and all aches and pains.

The tricky part comes next, when insurance companies will try to minimize their costs. They will do this either by denying you medical payments, severely limiting the amount of care you can receive, or simply waiting for you to get fed up and pay for the medical care yourself.

This is one area where you need a personal injury attorney, since they will know how to deal with the insurance companies to make sure that you are receiving the full care that you deserve and need. If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident, get in touch with an injury attorney immediately. You may have legal options, and your recovery shouldn’t wait!

 

Photo courtesy of NettoFigueiredo by Pixabay .