The Most Common Accidents That Result in Personal Injuries

Personal injury (or tort law) claims allow victims to receive compensation when another person or entity’s actions caused the injury, whether the actions were intentionally harmful or simply negligent. Many different situations can lead to a personal injury claim, but some are more common than others.

The most common types of circumstances and accidents resulting in personal injury cases include the following:

• Medical malpractice — These types of claims arise when a doctor or other health care professional acts in a way that fails to provide reasonably skilled or competent care. Examples include misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication mistakes and failure to monitor a patient’s status. Medical negligence cases can be complex, and require a great deal of evidence to be successful.
• Slip and fall — These claims arise when a victim suffers injury on another person’s property. All property owners have a legal duty to keep the space reasonably safe and free of hazards. An owner’s negligent failure to maintain the premises or address potential dangers means that he or she can be held liable for the injuries that occur on his or her property.
• Dog bites — New Jersey has adopted a “strict liability” statute regarding dog bites, which holds animal owners liable for any injuries their dogs’ bites cause, even when they use reasonable effort to restrain the dog. Exceptions to this rule may occur if the dog bite victim was trespassing on the owner’s property or provoking the animal in any way.
• Car accidents — With car accidents, New Jersey is a “no fault” state, so in most cases, drivers must collect from their own insurers to cover expenses. However, exceptions to this rule may arise if the driver is catastrophically injured, or if the negligent driver was intentionally trying to inflict harm.

If you or your loved one recently suffered a negligence-related injury in an accident or incident in Ridgewood, Bergen County or elsewhere in New Jersey, consult an attorney to learn about taking appropriate legal action.