What Are the Most Common Personal Injury Cases? Types & Examples.

A countless number of personal injuries happen every day throughout the state of California. Some are the fault of the person injured, some are no one’s fault, but many are due to the negligence or intentional acts of another individual or entity.

We all hope to avoid having a personal injury. However, if you have suffered a personal injury, it is important to understand what to do and what are your rights. In some cases, you may be entitled to money for any damages, pain, and suffering you endured.  

What is a Personal Injury?

Personal injuries cover a broad range of injuries to either an individual’s body, mental health, emotions, or even reputation. What personal injuries do not include is an injury to an individual’s property.  

A personal injury case is typically filed when an injury occurs due to one of the following three reasons: (1) the negligence of another individual due to their failure to exercise the care of a reasonable person under the same circumstances; (2) the intentional wrongdoing of another individual; and (3) in matters where there is a law that requires strict liability which means that an individual or entities’ liability does not depend on an individual’s negligence or intent to do harm. You can learn more about Personal Injury Liability in this article.

Types and Examples of Personal Injury Cases

There are numerous types of personal injury cases. Having a better understanding of the various types and examples of personal injury cases may help you determine if the injury you suffered is one in which you may be entitled to compensation. You can search our extensive library of cases to find real lawsuits with injuries similar to yours.

The following are the types of personal injury cases that typically result in bodily harm:

• Medical malpractice – these are injuries resulting from the negligence of a healthcare professional. They may be caused by a deviation from the standards of their profession or an error in diagnosis, treatment, or even aftercare. Examples include the following: (1) diagnosing a patient with the wrong disease and treating that incorrect diagnosis; (2) a negligent error by a surgeon performing a surgery on a patient; and (3) failing to provide a patient with an appropriate treatment for their injury or sickness.
• Slip and Fall Accidents – these are injuries occurring at someone’s property that is the result of a slip, trip, or fall due to a dangerous surface or unsafe environment. This can also include situations in which the owner of the property fails to properly warn individuals about a dangerous condition. Examples include the following: (1) an individual slipping on a puddle of water due to a leaky pipe; or (2) an individual tripping on a loose piece of cement on a property’s sidewalk. 
• Workplace Accidents – a sudden or unexpected injury that occurs while someone is performing their duties for their employer which is typically the result of either another’s negligent behavior or unsafe conditions. These types of personal injury cases do not include occupational diseases, such as when an individual is harmed due to consistent exposure to a harmful substance. 
• Automobile Accidents – This includes any injury that is the result of a vehicle hitting another vehicle, object, or person. Examples include the following: (1) a car failing to stop and rearending another car; (2) a collision due to a car driving through a red light; (3) being a passenger in a car when a driver loses control of their car and crashes into a utility pole; and (4) a car hitting a pedestrian crossing the street. 
• Product Defect Accidents – A product defect accident occurs when an individual was properly using a product and suffers an injury that was the direct result of a defect in the product. Product defect accidents may be the result of a design defect, manufacturing error, or a failure to properly warn the user. Examples include the following: (1) an electrical device such as a computer that gives off electrical shocks; (2) a defective car seat that does not keep a child safe during an accident; and (3) tires that shredded or went flat while driving due to an error in the manufacturing process. 
• Nursing Home Abuse – This type of personal injury occurs when a caretaker at a nursing home harms one of their residents. The injury or trauma suffered in these cases may be the result of either the intentional or negligent behavior of the caretaker. Nursing home abuse may include physical abuse of a resident, such as hitting them or sexually abusing them. It may also include the neglect of residents by not providing them the care they are needed or leaving them unintended for extended periods of time and putting them in danger of various types of harm such as medical issues (e.g., dehydration, sepsis, etc.), an accident, and even death. 
• Toxic Torts – These include injuries to an individual as the result of a toxic substance. There are a wide range of items that may lead to a toxic tort such as fossil fuels, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, asbestos, and other toxic items found in various items. 
• Assault – This type of personal injury case usually involves an intentional act that is meant to cause a reasonable fear of imminent and harmful contact. Examples of a personal injury case due to assault may occur when one individual threatens another with harm by, for instance, pointing a toy gun or cocking their fist at someone to threaten or scare them. 

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There are also personal injury cases which result in non-bodily harm to an individual. Those include the following:

• Defamation – This type of injury is the result of false statements made by someone else that injure an individual’s reputation. The false statements can be either in writing (libel) or spoken (slander). 
• Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress – When one acts in an outrageous manner with the intent of causing another individual to suffer severe emotional distress and effect their mental health. 
• Invasion of Privacy – an injury that is the result of any intentional and unreasonable intrusion on a person in a location where someone has a reasonable expectation of privacy. For instance, a hidden camera in a gym’s locker room would be considered an invasion of privacy. 
• False arrest or imprisonment – an injury that is the result of an individual being illegally held by another. There is no limitation as to the size of the location where the individual is being held. It simply requires an unlawful holding with the use or threat of actual force. 

A Big Variety of Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury cases come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can result in minor inconveniences to spending a life in pain and suffering, and even death. If you or your loved one have suffered from a personal injury, it is highly recommended that you seek the opinion of an experienced California personal injury attorney before taking any further action. Our attorneys are eager to help and represent you in the court. Contact our experts now and we will determine your best course of action moving forward.