People get hurt in Florida for all kinds of reasons. Some serious injuries are truly accidental. Factors outside of someone’s control, like inclement weather, may directly contribute to the cause(s) of their injuries. However, a large number are the result of either negligence or dangerous behavior on the part of another party.
In Florida, those harmed because someone did something they should not have done or failed to do something that they reasonably should have can take the person or business that caused their injuries to civil court. The following are the five most common types of injuries that lead to personal injury litigation in Florida.
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
Although people generally trust the professionals providing their healthcare, doctors and other medical professionals frequently make mistakes. Errors when diagnosing someone or deviations from best practices when dispensing drugs, delivering a baby or performing an operation could all lead to preventable injuries and major expenses.
DOG BITES
According to a report by the United States Postal Service (USPS), Florida is one of the worst states in the country for dogs attacking delivery workers. USPS employees are not the only people injured by aggressive dogs. Florida residents of all ages could get hurt when out in public or visiting someone’s home because a dog becomes aggressive toward them.
PREMISES LIABILITY CLAIMS
Technically, dog bites often fall under the umbrella of premises liability claims. However, many premises liability claims relate to poor property maintenance rather than an aggressive animal. Someone slipping and falling because of wet floors or getting hurt because of poorly-maintained building facilities could potentially have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit against the property owner or the business where they got hurt due to negligent maintenance.
CRIMINAL INCIDENTS
Florida law permits someone to pursue a personal injury claim against another party who injured them during the commission of a crime. Someone with a broken jaw after an assault could take the person who hit them to court to seek compensation for lost income and their medical expenses, for example.
MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES
Every year in Florida, there are hundreds of thousands of collisions that cause tens of thousands of injuries and thousands of deaths. Those hurt in crashes or struggling to adjust to life after the death of a loved one take the party responsible for the crash to court to pursue compensation.
Personal injury claims often fall into one of those five categories but could also result from unique circumstances. Understanding why people can benefit from filing personal injury lawsuits can help individuals to better evaluate their own circumstances to see if they have a valid reason to pursue a civil lawsuit.
