Any unfortunate event that results in physical and emotional harm is termed as personal injury. These injuries are categorized as accidents like slip and fall at the workplace, car accidents, using falsely advertised products, medical malpractice, or in cases of wrongful death claims. Knowing the reasons behind an accident or injury facilitates significantly in understanding how to avoid them while staying safe from harm.

Common types of Personal Injury cases

There are chances of being injured because of someone's negligence when driving your vehicle. Injury from a vehicle accident is by far, the most common type of personal injury that we will discuss in detail later on. Monetary compensation for injuries can be claimed through a personal injury lawyer for better outcomes.
Wrongful death claims quite commonly arise out of vehicle accidents, medical neglect or malpractice, workplace accidents, and airplane crashes. They are brought up when someone dies due to someone’s negligence.
Defective products, products without warnings, or a user manual can pose a serious threat to health and wellbeing. These products range from consumer products to vehicle components and medical devices. If you have been injured by such faulty products, a personal injury claim can be brought up against the responsible parties.

There are several other personal injury types and relevant claims which include nursing home neglect, medical injuries due to misdiagnosis, and injuries from animal bites.

Steps to Follow After a Car Accident

Analyze the situation

Whenever you face an unexpected situation, do not haste, or else you might end up receiving even more injuries. Calm your nerves down, accept the situation that you are in and try not to panic. If it’s a car accident, turn your hazard lights on to indicate to the approaching drivers that there has been a car accident. If the crash is minor and the vehicle is drivable, move your car to the side lane so that you do not end up blocking the road for others. Remove your seat belt and get out of your car but only if you are not on a dangerous road or turn. Do not lose your temper, even if the other person was at fault.

Hire a Personal Injury Attorney

If you or anyone involved in an accident gets physically injured, call the ambulance immediately and seek medical assistance as soon as possible. Keeping a first aid kit at the workplace or in your car can also prove to be very useful under these circumstances. Another extremely important step is to hire a personal injury attorney as an advocate for you. Having a professional lawyer with the required procedural as well as legal knowledge alongside you can certainly prove to be very beneficial.

Trying to file a personal injury lawsuit on your own can be extremely troublesome. Whereas your attorney can ease the procedure by filing a lawsuit in your defense and will assist you in turning the case in your favor. To help out the people in need, most of the Upstate Personal Injury attorneys take up the case on a contingent fee basis. This means that the lawyers will not charge any consultation fee unless the claimed amount is recovered.

Last but not the least, having a personal injury attorney can also help you in preparing a settlement demand letter to the insurance company or your workplace, after collecting the required evidence. Otherwise, the procedure to file personal injury claims can become extremely hectic, which is again not a favorable position to be in, especially after a severe physical injury.

Ask for Help

If the situation is critical and you cannot get out of it on your own, it is better to keep calm and call 911 to seek professional help. Contacting someone who is in your vicinity is also a good option. Also, make sure that the driver and the passengers in the other car involved are also alright but remember do not leave your damaged vehicle unattended, or else you can end up getting some serious repercussions. Do not reveal the happenings and the whereabouts of the incident to anyone except the allowed police department.

Take photographs of the Incident

Try to gather visual information such as pictures or videos if you can to support your lawsuit. Make sure that the evidence is collected on a reliable device (preferably on a camera instead of a mobile phone). Include the complete details regarding the incident in your photos such as the road conditions or the traffic signs involved if any so that you can effectively present the context of your car crash without any ambiguity. In addition, remember the time and the date of the incident and keep the required licensing documents prepared to make the further legal process swift.

How to Stay Safe From Injuries

Repair any damaged stairs or flooring at the workplace, declutter the hallways to avoid injuries from slipping and falling.
The tools used at the workplace should always be inspected before use and proper training can be provided to employees for hazard prevention and to operate the equipment efficiently.
Staying vigilant while driving is essential to protect you and the ones on the road. Most commonly, accidents occur due to excessive alcohol consumption and not being attentive while driving. Make sure that you avoid every distraction and focus on your driving to stay safe.
Don’t forget to wear a seatbelt while driving as chances of a fatal injury are reduced by many folds. Children and the elderly can use age-appropriate booster seats and seatbelts to stay secure.
When driving a motorcycle or a bicycle, wear protective gear before you begin your journey. Wearing a helmet is important for the driver and the passenger as it decreases the chances of a major injury in case of an accident.
Stay under the speed limit and follow traffic rules when driving.

No matter how much you prepare beforehand, a car accident or a workplace injury can still occur. In such instances, try getting medical assistance as quickly as possible as a minor-looking injury from an accident can easily turn out to be fatal. Always remember to follow the SOPs at your workplace and religiously follow traffic rules to avoid accidents and injuries.

Injuries Can Occur No Matter Where You Are: How To Stay Safe