Cleveland Personal Injury Lawyer

Getting hurt in any kind of accident can derail your future plans and result in significant losses. If an accident leads to permanent disability or disfigurement, the accompanying financial and personal damages may be even more severe.

You should not have to bear the short-term or long-term costs of someone else’s negligence. With assistance from a Cleveland personal injury lawyer, you could pursue a civil claim for compensation to cover all your losses related to the accident. A qualified attorney at Smith Hulsey could guide you through the civil litigation process, seeking fair compensation on your behalf for every compensable form of harm you can trace back to your accident.

Defining Legal Negligence

One of the most important concepts for prospective plaintiffs to understand is “legal negligence,” a basic principle in almost all personal injury lawsuits. Under state civil law, a person is negligent if all four of the following factors apply to their situation:

• They owed someone else a “duty” to follow the law, be aware of their person and/or property, and generally act like a reasonable person given the circumstances
• Through some careless, reckless, or intentional action, they failed to live up to their duty
• The “breach of duty” put someone in danger of physical harm
• An accident occurred directly because of the breach of duty that resulted in compensable losses

Comparative Fault in Civil Injury Lawsuits

If an injured victim filing suit for their accident is partially to blame for their own injuries, they may bear “comparative fault.” As a Cleveland personal injury attorney could explain further, Official Code of Georgia §51-12-33 grants civil courts the authority to reduce a final damage award by whatever percentage of fault a plaintiff bears for their damages. Furthermore, plaintiffs found 50 percent to blame or more will be barred from getting any compensation at all.

Types of Compensation Following a Personal Injury

Assuming there are no issues with comparative negligence, a personal injury victim may demand compensation for the full value of injuries and losses stemming from the accident. Importantly, damages can be for both economic and non-economic forms of harm.

On top of financial losses like medical expenses and lost work income, a comprehensive personal injury claim may also include non-economic forms of harm like lost enjoyment of life and physical pain from a serious injury. At Smith Hulsey, our skilled Cleveland attorneys could discuss on a case-by-case basis what damages may be available for an injured victim.

Speak with an Experienced Cleveland Personal Injury Attorney Today

Although another person may be clearly to blame for your injuries, achieving a successful outcome to this type of case can be surprisingly complicated. Various forms of evidence may be necessary to show that someone else was reckless and that their negligence directly caused your specific damages. It can also be challenging to present a compelling case without guidance from a skilled legal representative.

To give yourself the best chances of a favorable resolution to your claim, you should strongly consider retaining a Cleveland personal injury lawyer. Contact the attorneys at Smith Hulsey today to schedule a consultation about your case.