When it comes to personal injury types or categories, some may be more obvious than others. When most people think of personal injuries in law, cases like dog bites, car accidents, and medical malpractice may come to mind. But sometimes personal injury presents itself in the form of mental and emotional harm.
Maybe understanding the types of personal injury cases will help you determine if you have suffered an injury and have rights to pursue a PI case.
2 Personal Injury Types
Cornell Law School broke down the personal injury types into a couple of different category groups. The first, we’ve talked about before which is the grounds on which personal injury claims can be brought: Negligence, Strict Liability, and Intentional Wrongs.
So today, we wanted to give a different perspective on personal injury types, because they are not all as they seem. We are going to talk about bodily harm and non-bodily harm as a way to categorize personal injury cases. Again, the following definitions come from the Cornell Law School website.
Bodily Harm
Personal injury claims can arise from harm done to the body. This is the kind that typically comes to mind if you are pursuing a personal injury case. Here are some examples:
- Automobile accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Assault
- Product defect accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home abuse
- Toxic torts
Non-Bodily Harm
Personal injury claims can also arise from non-bodily harm. These types of injuries are not as easily recognized and are more difficult to prove. But attorneys who are personal injury experts can get the job done. Here are some examples:
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress
- Defamation
- False detention, arrest, or imprisonment
- Malicious prosecution
- Invasion of privacy
What damages can be claimed?
There are 3 types of damages that can be claimed in a personal injury case in California. Special damages, general damages, and punitive damages.
If anything on the bodily harm or non-bodily harm lists above apply to you, seeking a personal injury attorney is the best course of action. Be sure to keep records of all medical reports and bills, as well as time taken off of work, and any other emotional distress that’s taken place.
We offer free consultations and would love to come alongside you and your family if you’ve found yourself in one of these unfortunate situations.