King William County Personal Injury Lawyer
Few events in a person’s life can be as traumatic and potentially long-lasting as a personal injury. Of course, it is important to obtain immediate medical care. However, these events can affect a person’s future as well as their present. It is not unusual for people to need to deal with the effects of a personal injury for months or years into the future.
When these effects are the result of another person’s or company’s failure to keep you safe, you have the right to demand compensation for your losses. Universally, this requires you to show that another party’s actions were the reason that the incident took place. A King William County personal injury lawyer could help you to take the necessary steps to protect your legal rights and seek fair payments for your losses.
Negligence As a Cause of Action After an Injury
Most personal injuries are the result of accidents. It is unfair to say that another party intended to cause harm. Nevertheless, the law says that accidental situations may create legal liability if a party did not take proper steps to provide protection. Examples of this dynamic include:
- Car, truck, or motorcycle accidents
- Slips and falls, or other examples of injuries that occur on others’ property
- Medical malpractice
- Defective product claims
In each of these scenarios, a party has an obligation to keep others safe. When they fail in this obligation, such as by speeding, failing to clear a spill, or misdiagnosing a condition, physical injuries can result. A King William County personal injury lawyer could help to gather evidence of negligence to build a claim for compensation.
An attorney could also assist injured people when they face allegations of contributory negligence. The Commonwealth is one of only a few states that still prohibits people from obtaining compensation after an accident if they were in any way responsible for the incident. According to Virginia Civil Model Jury Instruction 6.000, claims for compensation will fail if an injured person did not take reasonable steps for personal protection. As a result, it is often just as important to justify one’s own actions as it is to prove defendant fault.
Injuries May Also Result from Criminal Activity
Of course, not every personal injury is the result of an accident. Assaults, arson, kidnapping, and sexual violence can also cause physical injuries. The perpetrators of these events are no less responsible for the resulting damage as those who were involved in accidents.
The important thing to remember in these cases is that a criminal case is separate from a civil claim for compensation. While a criminal court can investigate the incident and send a perpetrator to prison, it is powerless to order the payment of damages to a victim. Instead, injured people must pursue separate but related civil lawsuits.
Even so, the outcome of a criminal case may be valuable evidence in a civil lawsuit for damages. If a criminal court convicts a defendant for an act of violence, there is no doubt that the incident occurred and that the defendant was responsible. As a result, that defendant cannot argue in civil court that they are not liable to provide compensation. All that remains in these cases is usually the demonstration of the extent of a person’s losses. A personal injury attorney in King William County can help to pursue civil lawsuits after criminal acts of violence.
Let a King William County Personal Injury Attorney Help Pursue the Case
All people who suffer personal injuries because of the actions of others deserve fair payments for their losses. Whether these injuries were the result of accidents or acts of violence, parties responsible for injuries must provide compensation to their victims.
A King William County personal injury lawyer is ready to help you. An attorney can explain the relevant laws, gather the necessary evidence, help measure your losses, and demand fair payments from insurance companies or in court. There is a limited time to pursue a case after an injury; contact an attorney today to get started.
