Personal injury law is a broad area of the law, and it encapsulates many different types of claims. It is a kind of umbrella term that houses many kinds of accidents and injuries. Given the wide variety of personal injury lawsuits, it can be difficult to understand with certainty whether you should be thinking about filing a personal injury claim or a different kind of civil lawsuit. To help clarify, our Santa Fe personal injury lawyers want to tell you more about some of the different areas of personal injury law in which you may be able to bring a claim for financial compensation.
Motor Vehicle Accident Claims
Car accident and other motor vehicle accident claims are one kind of many different kinds of personal injury cases. Motor vehicle crash claims can be particularly confusing because they often begin with an auto insurance claim instead of a lawsuit, although it is important to have a car accident attorney on your side even for the early stages of your auto insurance claim for purposes of settlement negotiation and obtaining the highest offer you can. When auto insurance claims do not yield sufficient compensation, injury victims can file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver or another liable party. These claims are typically brought on a theory of negligence, requiring the plaintiff to prove that the defendant was negligent in order to obtain compensation.
Premises Liability Lawsuits
Premises liability claims are another kind of personal injury case. These lawsuits involve claims against negligent property owners (or renters, or others in control of property) who fail to make the property reasonably safe for others. Common types of premises liability lawsuits include slip and fall claims or trip and fall claims, as well as negligent security cases. Premises liability lawsuits generally arise whenever an injured person has gotten hurt because of a defect or hazard or problem on someone else’s premises.
Medical Malpractice, or Medical Negligence
While medical malpractice law is also a broad area of the law that includes many different types of patient injury cases, it is also a type of personal injury claim. Medical malpractice, also known as medical negligence, can include cases involving medication mistakes, surgical errors, laboratory errors, diagnostic mistakes, dental injuries, and many other kinds of mistakes that result in patient injuries. There are often a variety of healthcare providers who can be liable in medical malpractice cases.
Product Defect or Product Liability Lawsuits
Produce defect, or product liability, claims are another common type of personal injury case. These lawsuits arise when there is a defect in a consumer product, and those defects can include design defects, manufacturing defects, and marketing defects.
Under New Mexico law, most types of personal injury lawsuits have a three-year statute of limitations, but you should always check with a Santa Fe personal injury attorney.
Contact Our Personal Injury Attorneys in Santa Fe
If you have questions about filing a personal injury lawsuit, or if you need guidance about the specific details of your personal injury lawsuit, one of our experienced Santa Fe personal injury attorneys is here to assist you. Do not hesitate to get in touch with our firm to learn more about how we can help with your case. Contact Slate Stern Law today for more information.