If you have been harmed in a personal injury incident, you should be aware of all of your rights and responsibilities. Knowledge is power, and knowing about your rights can help you to seek justice while knowing about your responsibilities can ensure that justice is served and you are taken care of. We will briefly explain what a personal injury is so you can determine whether you are a victim of this type of incident.
Then, we will dive into your various rights and responsibilities, such as the right to legal representation and the responsibility to report an incident. Let’s explore your rights and responsibilities in more detail so you know how to move forward following a personal injury.
What is a Personal Injury?
A personal injury is harm inflicted on a person’s body or mind, rather than on their property or reputation. That being said, the damages inflicted by personal injury can have detrimental effects on a person’s finances and reputation, and their property may also be damaged in the incident. Injuries resulting from slip and fall incidents in public places, car crashes, or falling objects at work all constitute personal injuries.
When the incident occurs due to the recklessness or negligence of a third person, the victim of the personal injury incident can claim compensation for their damages. These damages can be physical, psychological, and financial in nature. The third person may be an individual, a company, or an organization.
For instance, if your boss insists you drive in unsafe conditions and you get into an automobile accident, your boss could be found liable for recklessness. Alternatively, if you are in a road accident due to a poorly-manufactured car, the manufacturer could be found liable for negligence.
Personal injuries come in a variety of forms, but common injuries include slips and falls, head injuries from falling objects, back and neck injuries, broken bones, and burns. Victims of personal injuries have various rights and it is vital that they know about them.
The Right to Legal Representation
One of the most important rights that all people have is the right to legal representation. A personal injury victim can and should seek legal representation so they can be awarded compensation for their damages. It is also important to seek legal representation because it brings justice to the liable third party and can prevent further damages from occurring.
You should call a reputed personal injury lawyer to discuss your case and make sure they are a good fit for you. If you have been involved in a truck, car, pedestrian, bicycle, or catastrophic accident, make sure you contact a Mesa Del Mar, CA personal injury lawyer who specializes in these fields. You can research local lawyers to find one with a strong history of successes in court and a portfolio of cases similar to yours under their belt.
The Right to Compensation
Once your lawyer is secured, you can begin to work with them to prove that a third party was liable for your incident. Whether it was negligence or recklessness, if you can demonstrate that the incident was avoidable you could be awarded compensation for your damages.
Compensation aims to alleviate the damages you face following a personal injury. You may have racked up medical bills, been made disabled, or found yourself unable to work as you did before the incident, resulting in financial, psychological, physical, and emotional damages. While money cannot make up for these losses, it can help you to cover expenses and take some strain off your life. You can also use the compensation to cover therapy, home adjustments, and any other expenses that result from the incident.
So, make sure you have enough evidence of the event. Photos of the injury and scene of the incident are very helpful, as well as CCTV footage, incident reports, medical records, witness testimonies, and evidence of the continued suffering you face, be it physical, financial, or psychological. All of this will help you to secure compensation in court.
The Right to Safety and Security
Whether you have been injured at work, on the road, on public premises, or at home, you have the right to safety and security from harm. Remember this so you can confidently pursue justice in the event that you are injured in an avoidable incident. The liable party may try to convince you that you should not seek justice but remember that you have the right to protection from harm. If this right has been violated, you can act accordingly.
The Right to Seek Medical Attention
You also have the right to seek medical attention, though the degree of care you receive will be determined by your healthcare coverage. It is your responsibility to make decisions in your life about the medical coverage you have access to, but even if you do not have extensive coverage, you have the right to seek medical aid after a personal injury.
The Responsibility to Report an Incident
Finally, you have a responsibility to report the incident to the appropriate authorities to prevent similar injuries from occurring and to help the course of justice. Whether you were injured at work, on the road, or by a faulty product at home, you have the responsibility to make it known so that the appropriate actions can be taken. Of course, at work or on public premises, it is also the responsibility of the employer, manager, or owner to make an official report and act accordingly.
As you can see, personal injury victims have a lot of rights, as well as some responsibilities, and it is very important that they are aware of these rights and responsibilities so they can act appropriately following an incident. We have discussed the rights to legal representation, compensation, safety and security, and to seek medical attention. All of these rights protect the victim from further harm and can help them to get their lives back on track following an injury. Moreover, we have discussed the responsibility to report an incident if you have been injured at work or in a public place. When a third party can be found to be liable
