Hiring a personal injury lawyer experienced in your matter type is the first step to successfully lodging a compensation claim. So, it’s important to know the types of personal injury cases your law firm handles.
When you acquire a physical or emotional injury due to an accident caused by another’s negligence, the consequences can last for years, destroying your finances with lost wages, superannuation, medical costs, and reduced quality of life.
Personal injury law covers a range of legal cases, and most law firms provide legal advice for some of them. For example, medical negligence is a specialised field serviced by just a few lawyers.
Below is a general overview of the types of cases personal injury lawyers handle in Australia.
Common Types of Personal Injury Cases
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accident cases cover every type of vehicle and circumstance in which you could a road accident could injure you, including:
- Car accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Taxi, Uber and rideshare accidents
- Escooter accidents
- Hit and run accidents
If you are harmed in a collision on Queensland roads, you must get expert accident legal advice immediately. You can see the steps to follow after a car accident here >
If possible, please collect crash scene evidence directly, including:
- CCTV footage
- Witness statements
- Photos and video of the accident scene damaged vehicles, skid marks, traffic signs, etc.
Once you pass this information to your accident lawyer, they will construct a compelling CTP insurance claim. Please know there are strict time limits to start legal action, and an experienced personal injury solicitor knows them all.
More about car accident claim time limits >
Be aware that insurance companies commonly try to minimise or deny legal claims. A common technique is to say you had partial responsibility for the traffic accident (known as contributory negligence). Our legal team helps people injured by negligence know their rights. They can explain how to reduce contributory negligence to improve your outcome.
Premises Liability Cases
Under Queensland public liability law, property managers and owners must take reasonable steps to ensure your safety while using their premises. Proprietors have a legal duty of care to anyone entering their business, residence, or land, protecting them from hazardous situations. Their level of liability could alter depending on how you use their property; for example, if you are trespassing, they could have reduced responsibility.
Premises liability law covers a diverse range of cases, including:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Food poisoning
- Public pool accidents
- Defective electrical wiring
- Accidents in public parks
- Dog and animal attacks
- Foothpath accidents
- School and playground accidents
- Recreational accidents
When a property owner’s duty of care failure harms you, a personal injury lawyer who knows premises liability claims can help you understand your legal right to compensation.
More about public liability claims >
Product Liability Claims
As an Australian consumer, you are protected by legislation covering the manufacture and supply of safe products. Despite this, people are injured by faulty and defective products every year.
When you suffer a product injury, you can be owed financial compensation because companies who supply, create, or make hazardous goods are liable for the harm they cause. Some common types of product liability cases include:
- Defective product design: when an entire product range is faulty
- Manufacturing defects: when a single item has a defect
- Inadequate marketing: when a manufacturer fails to provide sufficient information on the risk of using their product. (failure to warn)
- Warranty breach: when a product is not fit for the purpose for which it was sold.
If any of the above has happened to you, please contact our compensation lawyers to hold negligent manufacturers accountable for their failure to fulfil their duty of care.
More about product liability claims >
Workers’ Compensation
All Australian employers have a legal duty to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. If you sustain a physical or mental injury at work or develop a work-related illness, you can pursue WorkCover compensation. In this case, you are claiming against your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage, which is generally your state WorkCover insurer. Once your claim is accepted, you can receive funds for lost wages, medical expenses, travel costs etc., and a lump sum permanent impairment payout for long-term severe and permanent injuries (above a certain threshold).
Common types of workers’ compensation cases include:
- Mental illnesses like work stress and depression
- Workplace injuries like back injuries, head injuries, burns and fractures
- Workplace slips and falls
- Industrial deafness
- Construction accidents
- Mining accidents
- Reduced vision
- Auto accidents when travelling for work purposes
- Aggravation of a pre-existing physical or psychological condition
Contact a WorkCover claim lawyer to learn your rights when harmed on the job. Get immediate legal support now by contacting Splatt Lawyers‘ work injury lawyers at 1800 700 125.
More about workers’ compensation claims >
Medical Negligence
A patient may have a strong case for medical negligence if they suffer injuries as a result of the negligent treatment of nurses, doctors, dentists, general practitioners, or a hospital or clinic.
All medical providers have a legal duty to provide their patients with a reasonable standard of care. If they fail to fulfil this duty, they may face liability for damages. There are many situations in which they make medical mistakes, such as:
- Surgical errors
- Incorrect prescriptions
- Misdiagnosis or late diagnosis
- Anaesthesia mistakes
- Birthing mistakes
- Defective medical implants
- Faulty medical devices
Medical negligence law is exceptionally complex, requiring a specialist level of knowledge generally found only with personal injury law firms that specialise in medical malpractice claims.
Wrongful Death Claims
The worst possible outcome of an accident is death. If you are a surviving family member of a fatally injured person killed by the negligent actions of another party, you could claim compensation with a wrongful death case. When successful, you would receive a damages payout for economic and non-economic losses.
Common types of fatal accidents caused by catastrophic injury include:
- Traffic accidents
- Faulty products, e.g., death by a defective car
- Mining and construction accidents
- Medical Mistakes
- Machinery accidents
- Falling from a height
- Electrocution
- Recreational and sporting accidents
- Severe workplace accidents
- Aviation accidents
You might be owed fair compensation if you are a financial dependent of someone who died in unexpected circumstances, such as a family member or beneficiary. When successful, your damages can include medical costs, funeral expenses, lost companionship, and economic losses like lost income.
More about wrongful death claims here >
Do I Have a Valid Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Knowing if you have a valid personal injury case is essential when you suffer a financial loss due to the negligence of others. Protect your rights when seeking compensation by contacting Splatt Lawyers now for free legal advice.
It’s free to know if you can claim, and you pay nothing until we win your case. Call Now 1800 700 125
Expert Queensland Personal Injury Lawyers
When you need legal advice for a personal injury, it’s good to know a Splatt Lawyer is near you. Choose your location now:
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