📚 Educational Information Only

This glossary provides general educational information about personal injury case types. Every case is unique with specific legal requirements and factual considerations. This information does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon for legal decision-making.

For legal advice about your specific situation, consult with a qualified personal injury attorney.

🚗 Vehicle Accidents

Vehicle accident cases involve injuries sustained in collisions or incidents involving motor vehicles. These are among the most common types of personal injury claims.

Car Accidents

Definition: Collisions involving passenger vehicles, typically caused by negligent driving behaviors.

Common Causes:

  • Distracted driving (cell phone use, eating, grooming)
  • Speeding or reckless driving
  • Impaired driving (alcohol, drugs)
  • Weather-related conditions
  • Mechanical failures
  • Running red lights or stop signs

Truck Accidents

Definition: Accidents involving commercial trucks, often resulting in severe injuries due to vehicle size and weight.

Unique Factors:

  • Federal regulations governing truck drivers
  • Multiple liable parties (driver, company, manufacturer)
  • Complex insurance coverage
  • Specialized investigation requirements
  • Higher settlement values due to severity

Other Vehicle Accident Types:

Motorcycle Accidents

Collisions involving motorcycles, often resulting in severe injuries due to lack of protection. Common causes include lane splitting, visibility issues, and road hazards.

Bicycle Accidents

Incidents involving bicycles and motor vehicles, pedestrians, or road conditions. Often involve questions of right-of-way and road sharing rules.

Pedestrian Accidents

Collisions between vehicles and pedestrians, often occurring at crosswalks, intersections, or parking lots. Typically result in serious injuries.

Rideshare Accidents

Accidents involving Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare vehicles. Complex insurance issues due to multiple coverage layers and driver status.

🏥 Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs when healthcare professionals fail to provide an appropriate standard of care, resulting in patient harm.

Key Legal Elements

To prove medical malpractice, these elements must typically be established:

  • Doctor-patient relationship existed
  • Standard of care was breached
  • Breach directly caused injury
  • Damages resulted from the breach

Common Types of Medical Malpractice:

Surgical Errors
  • Wrong-site surgery
  • Foreign objects left in body
  • Anesthesia errors
  • Post-operative complications
  • Unnecessary procedures
Diagnostic Errors
  • Misdiagnosis of conditions
  • Delayed diagnosis
  • Failure to diagnose cancer
  • Laboratory test errors
  • Radiology reading errors
Medication Errors
  • Wrong medication prescribed
  • Incorrect dosage
  • Drug interaction failures
  • Pharmacy dispensing errors
  • Adverse reaction failures
Birth Injuries
  • Cerebral palsy from oxygen deprivation
  • Erb's palsy from delivery trauma
  • Failure to monitor fetal distress
  • Improper use of delivery tools
  • Maternal complications

🏢 Premises Liability

Premises liability cases involve injuries that occur on someone else's property due to unsafe conditions or inadequate maintenance.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Most Common Premises Liability Cases

Common Hazards:

  • Wet or slippery floors
  • Uneven or damaged walkways
  • Poor lighting conditions
  • Cluttered aisles or pathways
  • Defective stairs or handrails
  • Ice and snow accumulation

Property Owner Duties

Legal Responsibilities Include:

  • Inspect property regularly for hazards
  • Repair or warn of dangerous conditions
  • Maintain adequate lighting and security
  • Remove hazards within reasonable time
  • Comply with building codes and safety standards

Other Premises Liability Cases:

Inadequate Security

Injuries from criminal acts that could have been prevented with proper security measures, lighting, or personnel.

Swimming Pool Accidents

Drowning or injury accidents due to inadequate safety barriers, supervision, or maintenance of pool areas.

Elevator/Escalator Accidents

Mechanical failures, maintenance issues, or safety violations involving vertical transportation equipment.

Falling Objects

Injuries from improperly stored merchandise, construction materials, or building components falling on visitors.

📦 Product Liability

Product liability cases involve injuries caused by defective, dangerous, or improperly designed products.

Three Types of Product Defects

Design Defects

Inherent flaws in product design that make it unreasonably dangerous

Manufacturing Defects

Errors during production that deviate from intended design

Marketing Defects

Inadequate warnings, instructions, or labeling

Common Product Liability Cases:

Automotive Defects
  • Defective airbags
  • Brake system failures
  • Tire defects and blowouts
  • Seatbelt malfunctions
  • Rollover vulnerabilities
Pharmaceutical Defects
  • Dangerous side effects
  • Inadequate warnings
  • Drug interactions
  • Contaminated medications
  • Off-label marketing issues
Consumer Products
  • Defective children's toys
  • Household appliances
  • Power tools and machinery
  • Electronics and batteries
  • Furniture and fixtures
Medical Devices
  • Defective implants
  • Surgical instruments
  • Diagnostic equipment
  • Prosthetic devices
  • Monitoring equipment

💔 Wrongful Death

Wrongful death cases arise when a person dies due to another party's negligence or intentional act. These claims are brought by surviving family members or estate representatives.

Who Can File Wrongful Death Claims

Eligible parties vary by state but typically include:

  • Surviving spouse and children
  • Parents (for unmarried deceased)
  • Estate representatives
  • Other dependent family members

Common Causes of Wrongful Death:

Fatal Car Accidents

Death resulting from vehicle collisions caused by negligent driving, drunk driving, or vehicle defects.

Medical Malpractice

Death caused by healthcare professional negligence, surgical errors, or failure to diagnose treatable conditions.

Workplace Fatalities

Deaths from construction accidents, industrial incidents, or exposure to hazardous conditions.

Product Defects

Fatal injuries from defective products, including automotive parts, medical devices, or consumer goods.

Recoverable Damages in Wrongful Death Cases:

Economic Damages
  • Lost future earnings and benefits
  • Medical expenses before death
  • Funeral and burial costs
  • Lost household services
  • Lost inheritance expectations
Non-Economic Damages
  • Loss of companionship
  • Loss of consortium (for spouses)
  • Pain and suffering of survivors
  • Loss of guidance and nurturing
  • Mental anguish and grief

📖 Important Reminder

This glossary provides educational information about personal injury case types for general understanding. Every case is unique with specific legal requirements, time limits, and factual considerations.

For legal advice about your specific situation, consult with a qualified personal injury attorney immediately. Time limits apply to all personal injury claims and missing deadlines can permanently bar your case.