Did you know that each year roughly 39.5 million injuries are reported? A good many of these injuries were caused by other people.
If you fall in this category, then odds are that you want financial compensation, both for your medical bills and your pain and suffering. The answer is either a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
But, exactly what are personal injury claims? And how are they different from personal injury lawsuits? If you want to learn the answer to these questions, then you’re in the right place.
In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about these two concepts.
What Are Personal Injury Claims?
A personal injury claim is essentially an insurance claim. Before it can turn into a lawsuit you first need to file an insurance claim. This can be either with your insurance or the person who hurt you. The specific insurance depends on the type of accident.
For example, if you were in a car accident, then you would go with auto insurance. From there, the insurance company will send out an investigator to look into your claim. Then, an insurance adjuster will adjust your claim.
Once this happens, it’s up to you and your lawyer to negotiate your claim. If a consensus can’t be reached, then it will need to go to trial.
What Are Personal Injury Lawsuits?
When negotiations fail, then your lawyer will file a lawsuit against the person responsible for your injuries. This is a lot more complicated because you will need to make your case in front of a jury and judge.
It will also be more expensive and time-consuming. As such, you should do everything you can to make the claims process work before turning to a lawsuit.
Why Do You Need a Lawyer for Both of Them?
In our opinion, it’s important to have a lawyer for both of these cases. While filing an insurance claim can be pretty straightforward, it’s vital to remember that an insurance company does not have your best interest in mind.
They will do everything they can to reduce the amount of money that they owe you. As such, we recommend lawyers for both personal injury claims and lawsuits. That way, you have someone fighting for your best interest.
However, we do recommend finding a lawyer that specializes in your type of injury. For example, if you were in a car crash, then look for a car accident lawyer.
Want More Content? Keep Reading
We hope this article helped you answer the question, What are personal injury claims and lawsuits? As you can see, both of these things seek financial compensation for damages. The difference is whether or not a settlement can be reached.
If it can’t be reached, then it will need to go to trial in the form of a lawsuit.
Did you enjoy this article? If the answer is yes, then you’re in the right place. Keep exploring to find more topics that you’re sure to love.
Wayne Probert is a senior reporter at Zobuz, covering state and national politics, and he is a grantee with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Before joining Zobuz, he worked as a freelance journalist in Kentucky, having been published by dozens of outlets including NPR, the Center for Media.
