If you were recently hurt due to another’s carelessness or recklessness in Melbourne, you should not have to pay for their mistake. You could file a personal injury claim and receive damages such as medical treatment costs, loss of income, pain and anguish, and more.
Morgan & Morgan knows what you are going through. We see the impact of personal injuries daily in our practice and understand that your home life, career, and life quality can suffer immensely. We fight hard, so injured individuals can receive full and fair compensation from the person or business responsible.
Our personal injury lawyers in Melbourne want you to win the compensation you need to get your life back on track and face the future without worry. Contact us now for a free case evaluation to clarify your legal options.
Do You Have a Personal Injury Claim?
A personal injury claim typically arises if you get hurt in an accident due to someone else's fault. The legal claim is the formal process of pursuing compensation from the responsible individual or business. In many cases, but not all, a payout will come from the at-fault party’s insurance company.
You may be able to file a personal injury claim in Melbourne if you or a loved one suffered an injury in an accident involving the following circumstances:
- The injury occurred within the last four years (although there can be exceptions)
- You suffered injuries and financial losses
- The accident occurred primarily due to another’s fault
A significant injury’s physical, emotional, and financial consequences can change your entire life. However, if another is responsible for your slip and fall, car accident, or another incident that caused your injuries and expenses, they should pay for your losses, not you.
A personal injury lawyer at Morgan & Morgan can handle your injury claim on a no-win-no-fee basis with no upfront costs. If you suffered an injury and want to find out about your legal options, we are here for you 24/7.
Common Personal Injury Cases in Melbourne
Personal injury law is a vast field that deals with all kinds of accidents and incidents ranging from slips and falls to libel and slander. However, some of the most common personal injury cases we see in our practice include the following:
Slips and Falls
Tripping or slipping and falling is a reasonably common occurrence. A fall does not necessarily qualify you for a personal injury lawsuit and compensation. However, if you tripped and fell on public or private property due to a hazardous condition, you could be entitled to damages from the responsible property owner.
Knowing when you have a claim can be tricky as there could be many potential hazards that cause or contribute to a fall, such as:
- Insufficient lighting
- Spillages on floors
- Wet floors after mopping
- Cracks in sidewalks
- Missing steps
Moreover, you would have to prove, with relevant evidence, that another’s negligence caused your fall and injury. Our personal injury lawyers in Melbourne can analyze your fall, determine whether you have a legal case, and move forward with a claim on your behalf.
Accidents at Work
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), American workers suffered 4 million injuries needing medical assistance in 2020. Each year, Melbourne employees get hurt in work-related accidents, such as slips and falls, car crashes, or getting struck by objects. However, even if an employer negligently causes a worker’s injury, usually, employees receiving workers’ compensation benefits cannot file a lawsuit against their employer. That said, there are some notable exceptions:
- The employer caused your injury deliberately
- The workers’ comp insurer or your employer denied your valid claim
- Your employer did not have workers’ comp coverage
- You are a contractor and do not qualify for workers’ compensation
It is important to note that you could also have a legal case against a third party if your accident and injury were caused by another entity, such as a property owner, subcontractor, coworker, or others. Getting timely legal advice can help you identify all options for recovering benefits and compensation.
Motor Vehicle Collisions
Countless road users in Brevard County suffer injuries each year in traffic collisions resulting from driver errors and negligence. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that most accidents are caused by human error. Irresponsible driving behaviors and mistakes include the following:
- Driving drunk
- Speeding
- Unsafe lane changes
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield
- Ignoring traffic signals
- Driving generally dangerously
You could be entitled to compensation if a dangerous or distracted driver caused your crash. However, you may also have a claim if your accident occurred due to inadequate road maintenance and design or due to a defective car part. Since it can be complicated to determine the at-fault party in a crash, consider working with an experienced personal injury lawyer at Morgan & Morgan.
Medical Malpractice
Having to undergo surgery or visiting the doctor with worrying symptoms can be an anxious time. However, when we put our trust in medical professionals, we hope they can make us get better and not worse. Medical errors cause many unnecessary injuries and deaths in the US annually and can have devastating consequences for victims and their families. Medical malpractice can also cause severe financial hardship, especially if the patient suffers permanent injuries.
If you or a loved one was injured due to a surgery mistake, medication error, misdiagnosis, or another incident of medical negligence, Morgan & Morgan wants to help. Not all personal injury law firms can handle medical malpractice claims successfully. However, our personal injury lawyers in Melbourne have extensive experience litigating medical malpractice claims and helped countless injured patients recover full and fair compensation.
Negligent Security
If you or a loved one become a victim of a crime on public, private, or commercial property, you could have a negligent security claim and recover compensation. Negligent security incidents can include:
- Violent robberies
- Sexual assaults
- Battery
- Shootings
- Homicide
However, to have a claim, you must prove that the property owner did not take adequate precautions to keep you reasonably safe from harm. Owners could be responsible for your damages if they did not take appropriate security measures for the property in question, such as:
- Security cameras
- Gates and fences
- Sufficient lighting
- Locks on doors and windows
Dangerous Products
Manufacturers must keep consumers safe. You could seek compensation if you suffered an injury due to a product defect. Defendants in your claim typically include a manufacturer and other parties implicated in the marketing and selling of the product. Defective product lawsuits can involve the following products:
- Motor vehicles
- Medical devices
- Toys
- Kitchen appliances
- Medications
- Cosmetics
- Foods
Having a seasoned personal injury lawyer in your corner can be critical when fighting a large and powerful corporation. Morgan & Morgan can level the playing field and fight vigorously for the best outcome for your case.
Compensation in Personal Injury Claims
The compensation you can recover will depend on your unique claim, the extent of your injuries, and your medical expenses. However, generally, you could receive the following awards:
- Medical treatments now and in the future
- Loss of wages and estimated future income loss
- Property damage
- Miscellaneous expenses connected to the accident and injury
- Pain and anguish
- Emotional trauma
- Disability
This list is not exhaustive, and you may be entitled to other or additional types of compensation.