Wednesday, September 2, 2009

In Personal Injury Cases You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal injury is one of those things we don't like to think about. From the legal perspective personal injury can become a serious area of dispute when one person is responsible for injuries sustained by another.

In cases like this where the injury is serious enough to have a significant impact on the injured person's life the question of "liability" is immediately raised. And in today's society where almost everything is measured in terms of dollars and cents, the job of the courts is to decide the cash value of this liability - the amount of monetary compensation the injured party should receive from the party responsible for the injuries.

Most of us have liability insurance to protect us against being sued for thousands or millions of dollars in compensation for injuries we may have caused other people. When someone is determined to be responsible for injuries sustained by someone else that person's liability insurance policy will pay the compensation up to the insured level.

It is because there is so much at stake in most personal injury cases that makes it important to have experienced legal representation. If you are the victim of an injury and you do not have a good personal injury lawyer representing you, you will be at a serious disadvantage.

Some of the most common and most devastating personal injuries are those sustained in traffic accidents. Such injuries range all the way from strained necks or backs to the loss of limbs, paralysis, and death.

For example, a common type of injury resulting from a vehicle crash is a neck or back strain The driver of the vehicle that hit you may be found to be liable for your injuries because he or she failed to obey the traffic laws.

Another common type of personal injury is the work-related injury. Office workers may suffer eye strain or repetitive motion injuries. Warehouse workers may suffer back injuries. And workers in extremely noisy environments may suffer hearing loss.

In all work-related cases it is the responsibility of the employer to provide a safe environment and take reasonable precautions against the possibility of injury or harm to its employees.

The makers of specific products are also generally considered to be responsible for harm that results from the use of those products. Of course this doesn't apply to unexpected uses - for example when a hammer is used to kill someone or a chain saw is used to cut off someone's limb. But if the chain saw malfunctions as a result of a manufacturing defect and the user of the saw is injured as a result, then that is clearly a different matter.

Claims against manufacturers can be filed for a variety of reasons. If you used the product in the proper manner, but were injured or harmed in some way, then the manufacturer may be liable for defective design or even misrepresenting the product.

In many cases it is the harm caused by chemicals in products that makes them susceptible to litigation. Well known examples include cases of certain prescription drugs such as Reglan or of the highly-publicized and controversial case of silicone breast implants.

Other well known cases involve baby equipment which has been found to be dangerous in some situations. Other prominent cases involve manufacturing problems in cars or trucks. The best known example is the case of Chevrolet Corvair which Ralph Nader used to achieve national prominence in the 1960s.

All personal injury cases are legally complicated, and since there is usually so much to be gained (or lost) by the parties involved, corporations and insurance companies are often not eager to admit responsibility without a legal fight. That is why it is so important to contact an attorney when you suspect you have been injured as the result of someone or some other party's actions or negligence.

The goal of a personal injury lawyer is to assist people who have been injured to get the level of compensation they are owed because of their injuries. Without knowledgeable and vigorous representation by an experienced personal injury lawyer it is unlikely an injured party will receive full compensation.

Nick Messe is president of The Lead Frog LLC. If you are in the Chicago or Morris Illinois areas be sure to contact Fitzpatrick & Harrop, experienced LaSalle County Personal Injury Lawyers for the best possible representation when you are injured. - http://www.fhlawfirm.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Messe

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