Have you considered hiring a lawyer to help get your money back or cover expenses that you incurred because of someone else’s actions? Are your friends and family telling you that you should sue someone? If you are involved in a situation that has you considering a lawsuit, you might be wondering about the most common causes of lawsuits both in your area and in the country as a whole. Here are some of the most common reasons that people pursue civil action against others:
Car Accidents
Car accidents are one of the most common causes of injuries and harm that require a lawsuit. In some cases, a lawsuit happens because one party in the accident didn’t have auto insurance, even though it’s required by law. A lawsuit can also be required in situations where insurance is hesitant to pay out the money victims are owed, or when there are disputes about who is at fault or how extensive the injuries are. Finally, in some cases the insurance settlement simply doesn’t provide enough money to cover the damages and injuries that happened, and a lawsuit is needed to get compensation for the wronged party. Whether you were a driver, passenger, or pedestrian involved in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, local Denver personal injury lawyers can help you seek compensation for your injuries and damages.
Slip-and-Fall Accidents
Slip-and-fall accidents are another common reason that people will need personal injury lawyers. These accidents usually happen when a property owner or manager fails to maintain the property correctly, resulting in someone getting hurt by slipping or tripping. For example, if a store owner leaves the floor wet without warning signs, a balcony doesn’t have proper safety rails, or a sidewalk is cracked and bulging, the company could be at risk for a liability lawsuit when someone gets hurt. In Colorado, businesses must take special care during the winter season to keep their sidewalks and parking lots clear of dangerous ice and snow. Slip-and-fall lawsuits aren’t as frivolous or as easy to win as many people think. In most cases, a litigant may need to prove things like whether or not the owner had knowledge of the situation, or should have had this knowledge, and whether they took steps to remedy the problem as soon as possible. In many cases, however, the owner actually was negligent, and a personal injury lawyer is needed in order to receive compensation for medical bills. If you slipped, tripped, or fell on someone else’s property due to hazardous conditions like wet floors, uneven surfaces, or inadequate signage, a personal injury lawyer can assist you in holding the property owner accountable for your injuries.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice lawsuits happen when someone is injured or harmed during medical treatment. While medical treatments are never guaranteed, and sometimes they don’t work as hoped, that isn’t the situation that leads to malpractice suits. Rather, these suits are sometimes needed when someone is harmed or killed because a medical professional made a mistake such as making serious surgical errors or mixing medications in a way that is harmful. These situations are usually caused by negligence or carelessness on the part of the medical team and can cause life-long injuries, pain and suffering, time off work, disability, and even death. Medical negligence and malpractice, such as surgical errors, misdiagnosis, medication mistakes, or birth injuries, can lead to severe harm. A personal injury lawyer specializing in medical malpractice can help you pursue a claim against the responsible healthcare professional or institution.
Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents are common and are usually real accidents that no one could have prevented. However, sometimes accidents at work are caused by negligence, carelessness, or even Colorado state regulations and federal laws which were ignored by managers and supervisors. Situations such as OSHA violations or failure to perform proper maintenance can cause workplace injuries. In these cases, injured parties have a good reason to hire a personal injury attorney and seek reimbursement and restitution to help cover their pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical bills. If you were injured on the job due to unsafe working conditions, lack of proper training, or employer negligence, a personal injury lawyer can help you navigate workers’ compensation claims or explore additional legal options.
Defective Products
Injuries caused by defective or dangerous products, such as faulty machinery, defective automobile parts, or unsafe pharmaceutical drugs can warrant a personal injury claim. These are usually cases where products were harming people during their normal use, and in which they were following all instructions and warning labels but still received injury. While most lawsuits about defective products concern large or dangerous items like cars and chemicals, some small and unassuming things, such as these Christmas decoration mailboxes, can also injure people. If you have been injured due to a defective or dangerous product, a personal injury lawyer with experience in product liability can help you seek compensation from the manufacturer, distributor, or other parties involved in the product’s design, manufacturing, or distribution.
Dog Bites
Dog attacks can be a good reason to hire a personal injury attorney. While most dog bites are provoked, meaning the person in some way antagonized or scared the animal, resulting in a bite, sometimes people intentionally keep animals that they know to be dangerous and aggressive. In these instances, the owner is liable for injuries, emotional damage, and other compensations when someone is attacked. Some dog-bite cases can even be criminal in Colorado. In addition, these cases can result in the aggressive animal being put down to prevent further injuries to other people. If you were attacked or bitten by someone else’s dog, resulting in injuries and emotional distress, a personal injury lawyer can help you pursue compensation from the dog owner, homeowner’s insurance, or other relevant parties.
Assault or Battery
Assault and battery lawsuits concern situations when a person was intentionally injured by an assault from another person. These cases can involve lawsuits as well as criminal action and the goal of the suit is to compensate the victim for personal pain and suffering, loss of income, medical expenses, emotional damages, and similar losses. If you were physically assaulted or subjected to battery due to someone else’s intentional actions, a personal injury lawyer can help you pursue a civil claim against the perpetrator to seek compensation for your injuries and related damages.
Nursing Home Abuse
Abuse that happens in nursing homes as well as other kinds of elder abuse can result in the need to hire a personal injury lawyer in order to help get compensation for emotional and physical damages, medical bills, and other needs. Elder abuse cases, like other assault cases, are likely to involve both civil and criminal proceedings. If a loved one has suffered abuse, neglect, or mistreatment in a nursing home or assisted living facility, a personal injury lawyer can advocate for their rights and pursue legal action against the responsible parties.
Recreational Accidents
Injuries sustained during recreational activities like sports, amusement park rides, or water sports due to negligence or defective equipment can require the expertise of a personal injury lawyer to pursue a claim for compensation. While many of these accidents are covered by injury waivers, not all situations apply. For example, gross or intentional negligence that is outside of the bounds of normal operations, such as when a company intentionally and repeatedly skips necessary maintenance on equipment, when laws are broken, or when there is evidence that a safety concern was covered up or ignored, there still may be grounds for a lawsuit, such as this situation that caused a family to pursue a lawsuit against a ski resort in Vail.
Conclusion
While there are many reasons that people pursue civil cases and lawsuits against businesses and individuals, it is important to always take the advice of an experienced attorney when considering any legal action. Not all lawsuits are easy to win, and some can be expensive to pursue.
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