A personal injury lawsuit is warranted when a person is injured as a result of the negligence or wrongdoing of another person, agency, company, or entity. This injury can be economic, such as the financial cost of medical bills or lost wages, or non-economic, such as physical or psychological harm.

A personal injury law firm is one which specializes in personal injury cases. Every personal injury claim addresses two central issues: Who is at fault and the extent of the damages incurred. On average, when injury occurs and fault can be demonstrated, such cases result in $50,000 of punitive damages. While most personal injury cases will never need to go to trial, having a personal injury lawyer on your team can mean the difference between no recompense and thousands of dollars in punitive damages.

A personal injury law firm may handle any number of personal injury cases, from automobile and motorcycle accidents to slip and fall cases or even ones warranting a wrongful death lawyer.

• Automobile and motorcycle accidents
  
  When they think of a personal injury law firm, most people jump to auto accidents. Motorcycles and large trucks are most likely to be involved in serious crashes, but automobile accidents can involve any type of motorized vehicle. An auto accident attorney can also be an advocate for pedestrians who have suffered injury as a result of an automobile or motorcycle accident.
  
  Auto accident lawyers are experts in demonstrating fault and proving damages did occur. They know the intricacies around tort law, or the branch of law governing automobile accidents, and how to gather the necessary evidence to prove compensation is warranted.
• Workplace accidents
  
  The second most common type of personal injury case is the workplace accident. Accidents resulting from unsafe behavior or workplace conditions fall into this category. “Safety culture” is a frequent issue in many workplaces. As a result, many employees are at risk for injury while on the job. These injuries could be caused by a variety of accidents, from slips and falls to equipment malfunctions.
• Slip and fall cases
  
  Over 21% of all emergency visits or 8 million visits are the result of falls. Slips and falls account for 12% of those falls, or over 1 million emergency room visits. Slip and fall cases are based on “premises liability.” A slip and fall lawyer can help you determine if the property owner where had a legal responsibility to keep the premises safe which he failed to uphold, thus resulting in your accident. This can be a very intricate process as the laws governing liability are quite precise. For instance, if you fell on a sidewalk which was raised by 1/4 inch, there is no liability. In order for the property owner to be liable, the sidewalk must have been raised by over two inches.
• Wrongful death cases
  
  Wrongful death cases are essentially personal injury cases wherein the injury being caused is a result of another’s death. For example, if the primary breadwinner in a household dies as a result of a wrongful death, his or her survivors could be entitled to punitive damages as compensation for the loss of the deceased’s wages. It is imperative that you contact a personal injury law firm in such cases to seek the guidance of a wrongful death lawyer as the law surrounding wrongful death cases is complex and liability can be very tricky to prove.
• Medical malpractice lawsuits
  
  Another branch of personal injury law governs medical malpractice. These cases typically involve accusations of negligence in the diagnosis or treatment of a patient. To demonstrate that a healthcare provider failed to meet a duty of care, you must have sound knowledge of the science and standards of medical care involved in diagnosing and treating ailments. As such, you’ll want to solicit the help of a personal injury law firm which specializes in medical malpractice cases.

If you’ve been in a auto accident, suffered an injury while on the job, experienced a slip or fall, are the survivor of someone who wrongfully died, or received negligent medical care, you could be due legal compensation. The best next step to take is contacting a personal injury law firm for help determining if you have a case and how to proceed.