by 
The Curious Bag
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A personal injury, in legal terms, is one which negatively affects your physical or mental health. This usually results from an accident of some sort. When the injured party feels that their injury was caused by the negligence of another party, they may choose to sue for damages.
Types
The sorts of personal injuries that often yield large legal settlements include car accidents, dog bites, medical malpractice, defective products, and nursing home abuse.
Potential
Some of the largest personal injury settlements ever made include $5 million for an auto accident, $500 million for malpractice, and $4.6 million for mesothelioma from asbestos exposure.
Considerations
If a settlement is reached, the amount of the settlement will vary depending on the extent of the physical injuries endured, the size of the medical bills incurred, time missed at work, and emotional damages inflicted.
Misconceptions
Although many assume that "ambulance-chasing" lawyers would be happy to represent anyone with any sort of claim, in practice most personal injury lawyers only take cases where the damage is severe enough to warrant large settlements.
Fun Fact
The official legal term for a personal injury lawsuit is "tort."
Source:
Shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress
Resource:
Peterson Law Offices
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