What Are the Common Types of Personal Injury Cases?

Accidents happen daily, but when someone else’s negligence causes harm, it can lead to more than just physical pain—it can disrupt your entire life. Personal injury cases cover a wide range of situations where someone’s carelessness or intentional actions lead to injuries. If you’re in Media, PA, understanding the common types of personal injury cases can help you decide when to seek legal help from an injury attorney at Silver & Silver.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents are among the most common personal injury claims because of the sheer number of cars, trucks, and motorcycles on the road. These cases can arise from various forms of driver negligence, including distracted driving, speeding, driving under the influence, and reckless behavior. Beyond the immediate aftermath of an accident, victims often face long-term consequences, such as chronic pain, permanent disabilities, or emotional trauma.

Key types of motor vehicle accidents include:

Car Accidents: Distracted driving, such as texting behind the wheel, remains one of the leading causes of car accidents. Other factors include aggressive driving, failure to obey traffic signals, and inclement weather. Even low-speed collisions can result in injuries like whiplash or concussions, while high-speed crashes can lead to devastating outcomes like broken bones or spinal cord injuries.
Truck Accidents: Accidents involving large commercial trucks are often more severe due to their size and weight. These cases may also involve multiple parties, such as the truck driver, trucking company, or vehicle manufacturer, depending on the cause. Common issues include driver fatigue, improper cargo loading, and mechanical failures.
Motorcycle Accidents: Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable because they lack the protection of a vehicle’s frame. Even when wearing helmets and other protective gear, riders can sustain serious injuries like road rash, broken bones, or traumatic brain injuries. Motorcycle accident cases often involve negligent drivers who fail to see motorcycles or give them enough space on the road.

Premises Liability

Premises liability cases occur when a property owner’s negligence creates unsafe conditions, leading to injuries for visitors. Property owners are legally obligated to maintain safe environments and address hazards promptly. They can be held liable for injuries when they fail to meet this duty.

Common types of premises liability claims include:

Slip and Falls: These are among the most frequent premises liability cases. Wet floors, icy sidewalks, uneven pavement, or poorly lit staircases can all lead to falls with serious consequences, including fractures, sprains, or head injuries. Pennsylvania law requires property owners to take reasonable steps to prevent these hazards and warn visitors about any known dangers.
Dog Bites: Dog owners in Pennsylvania are responsible for injuries caused by their pets, even if the animal has no history of aggression. Dog bite injuries can range from minor punctures to severe wounds that require reconstructive surgery. In addition to physical injuries, victims may also experience emotional trauma, especially children.
Negligent Security: Property owners of places like apartment complexes, parking lots, or shopping centers must take reasonable precautions to ensure visitors’ safety. If someone is assaulted or attacked because of inadequate security measures—such as broken locks, lack of lighting, or no security personnel—they may have a valid premises liability claim.

Workplace Injuries

Workplace injuries are often covered by workers’ compensation, but there are cases where third-party negligence may open the door to a personal injury claim. These cases typically involve defective equipment, unsafe working conditions, or negligence by a non-employer entity, such as a contractor or vendor.

Types of workplace-related personal injury claims include:

Construction Site Accidents: Construction sites are inherently hazardous, with risks such as falls from scaffolding, injuries caused by heavy machinery, or accidents involving falling objects. While workers’ compensation typically applies, you may have additional claims if faulty equipment or third-party negligence contributed to the injury.
Industrial Accidents: Industrial workers often face exposure to dangerous substances or machinery malfunctions. Accidents like chemical burns, respiratory illnesses, or crushing injuries caused by unsafe equipment may justify a personal injury claim.
Third-Party Negligence: If your injury resulted from the actions of someone other than your employer—such as a delivery driver at your worksite or a contractor—you may have grounds to pursue a claim outside the workers’ comp system.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs when healthcare providers fail to deliver care that meets established standards, harming their patients. These cases are particularly complex because they require proving that the provider’s negligence—not underlying medical issues—caused the injury or worsened the patient’s condition. Victims of medical malpractice often face long-term physical, emotional, and financial challenges.

Common types of medical malpractice cases include:

Misdiagnosis: A failure to correctly diagnose a condition can delay essential treatment or lead to unnecessary procedures that cause harm. For instance, misdiagnosing cancer as a benign condition can result in missed opportunities for life-saving treatments.
Surgical Errors: Mistakes during surgery, such as operating on the wrong body part, leaving instruments inside a patient, or administering incorrect anesthesia, can have life-threatening consequences. Victims may require additional surgeries or face lifelong complications.
Birth Injuries: Birth injuries can affect both mothers and newborns, often due to improper monitoring, delayed responses to complications, or the misuse of delivery tools. Conditions like cerebral palsy or Erb’s palsy can result from negligent care during labor and delivery.

Let Silver & Silver Help You Seek Justice

If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you don’t have to navigate the legal system alone. At Silver & Silver, our injury attorneys in Media, PA, are ready to help you with your personal injury claim. We’ll handle the legal details so you can focus on recovering. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

Disclosure:

This website is designed to provide only general information. The information presented on this website is not formal legal advice. You should not rely on any general information from any source for making legal decisions. Each legal matter is unique and requires specific attention from a qualified and experienced attorney. Unless a representation agreement has been signed with the Law Offices of Silver and Silver, we are not your legal representatives.