Six Personal Injury Case Terms You Should Know
Have you recently filed a personal injury claim for an accident or fall that you've suffered? If you have medical expenses and loss of wages from this accident, you will want to seek compensation from the responsible individual or company. Depending on the extent of your injuries, you may actually be entitled to a lot of money to help you with the financial burden of your personal injury. As a personal injury attorney in Miami, FL, we are here to advocate for you so that you receive the compensation you deserve. Before you get started with the legal process, you will want to understand these terms that you will hear as you work through the personal injury case.
Statute of Limitations
Whenever you are considering filing a personal injury claim, you will want to understand the statute of limitations. This term refers to the amount of time you have to file your lawsuit. Typically, this is somewhere between two and four years depending on the state you live in.
Negligence
Personal injury claims are often filed due to someone else's negligence. Understanding this term is critical to your case, as it will be what determines the outcome. In order to prove negligence, you must show that the other party had a responsibility to act with care and caution but that they failed to do so. Their negligence then resulted in your injury.
Plaintiff
A plaintiff is the party, individual, company, or organization that is pursuing the civil lawsuit. When you file the claim, you are considered to be the plaintiff in the case.
Defendant
On the other hand, the defendant is the individual or party that is being sued. They are the ones that are legally responsible for the negligence that resulted in the plaintiff's personal injury, pain, suffering, or wrongful death. In a personal injury case, there may actually be more than one defendant depending on the cause of the accident.
Torts
In court, torts are referring to the wrongful actions that are not considered to be a crime or a violation of a contract, but those that have still resulted in injury. If a tort ends up being "intentional," this can result in the defendant facing criminal and civil charges.
Damages
Damages refer to the compensation that the plaintiff is seeking in the case. This is typically an amount of money that will pay for the medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and many more financial components of the case.
These are terms that you'll want to understand as you are working through your personal injury case. To put yourself in the best position possible, you'll want to team up with the experts in personal injury cases, like our personal injury attorney in Miami, FL. We have the experience to fight, advocate, and negotiate for you so that you receive the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering. Contact us to schedule a consultation with our expert attorneys today.