Personal Injury Lawsuits, Legal Information You Should Know

Personal injury happens when you are hurt physically, intellectually, or emotionally. It does not cover damage to your property or your possessions.  Below are some of the most frequently asked questions that people have about personal injury lawsuits.

How do I find a lawyer?

To find a good personal injury lawyer, talk with your family, friends, and good acquaintances and ask for the names of good lawyers. If the lawyers you find don’t specialize in personal injury, ask the lawyers you did find who they would recommend.

How can I afford to pay a lawyer?

Since you need to survive while your case is being tried, the first thing you need to do is make sure you are receiving all the income you are entitled to, such as Social Security benefits, workers’ compensation benefits, money from subsidized health care plans, and Medicare. If you have a strong family network, your family might be able to help you, but be sure to have a written, formal agreement about their help and how you will pay them back. You can also get a home equity loan, a personal loan, or a loan from a litigation funding company.

What constitutes negligence?

Negligence is defined by what a reasonably careful person would or wouldn’t do. If someone causes one or more other people to be hurt, either by doing something or not doing something, and the court decides that a reasonably careful person wouldn’t have acted or failed to act that way, then that is negligence.

What is a tort?

A tort is a civil wrong that can be at least partially set right by money. It can be criminal as well as civil. There are many different kinds, but they can be divided into three main types:

- Intentional torts happen when someone hurts one or more other people and knew, or should have known, that the action or inaction was likely to hurt someone.

- Negligent torts happen when someone hurts one or more other people by acting in a way that is unreasonable and unsafe.

Strict liability happens when an action you took causes damage. If you do something dangerous and one or more people get hurt, strict liability says you are responsible even if you were being very careful. In addition, if people get hurt using a defective product, then everyone from the manufacturer to the retail store may be liable for that defect.

For further information, contact our Sacramento personal injury lawyers.