Can I File a Personal Injury Claim?
Personal injury claims arise, broadly, from some person acting in an unreasonable manner and a person becoming injured as a result. There are many types of personal injury cases. But how do you know if you’re eligible to file a claim for the injury you sustained? The following includes some of the most common types of personal injury cases. If your injury is on this list, consider reaching out to a legal professional immediately for help.
Vehicle Accidents
When operating vehicles, people have a responsibility, known as a duty of care, to behave reasonably and in a safe manner. If drivers fail to do so, and someone is injured as a result, a personal injury claim can result. It is worth noting that this category is not only limited to car accidents, but also includes truck and motorcycle accidents, accidents involving bicycles, boats, jet skis, and even aircraft.
Premises Liability
Under the theory of premises liability, property or landowners have a duty to protect visitors from certain harms. But in some cases, visitors will sustain an injury, often through a slip and fall accident.
However, in the state of Florida, owners are not automatically liable for slips, trips, or falls on their properties. In contrast to some other states, the property must have contained a hazard or defect about which the owners knew or should have known in order for liability to arise.
Product Liability
Individuals may file a personal injury claim under the theory of product liability if they have been injured by a dangerous product. The theory of product liability may cover injuries due to defects in design (i.e., the overall design of a product, not just a single defective product, is flawed in such a way as to cause or contribute to injuries), defects in manufacturing (i.e., injury resulted from a single product being constructed incorrectly due to an error in the factory or manufacturing process), or marketing defects (i.e., the product lacked appropriate warnings or instructions for use, and this led to injury).
Dog or Animal Bites
Many people believe that dog or animal bites are rare, but in fact, hundreds of thousands of people end up receiving emergency medical care for these types of injuries every year. In Florida, compensation you may receive for your dog bite can be reduced in relation to how much your negligence contributed to the incident and whether the dog’s owner posted notice that the dog was dangerous. But it would be a mistake to believe you are completely ineligible to receive relief for your injuries simply because the dog’s owner believes the incident is your fault.
Other Types
Of course, there are many other categories of personal injury claims, and there is much remaining to be said regarding the categories listed here. If you believe you may have a personal injury claim, you may be best served by contacting experienced legal counsel. At Barbas, Nunez, Sanders, Butler & Hovsepian in Tampa, we have experience negotiating many types of personal injury claims. If you are considering filing a personal injury claim in Florida, call toll-free at 1 (800) 227-2275 for a consultation today.