Personal Injury Basics
Start here. What a personal injury claim is, how negligence and fault work, whether you have a case, how settlements and contingency fees work, and the deadline to file. Rules vary by state.
All Personal Injury Basics guides
- What Is a Personal Injury Claim? A Plain-English Guide
A plain-English guide to personal injury claims: the negligence framework, fault rules, common claim types, and how compensation works.
- Comparative vs. Contributory Negligence: How Shared Fault Affects Your Claim
How comparative and contributory negligence rules can reduce or completely bar your injury claim, and how to protect yourself.
- Personal Injury vs. Workers' Compensation: What's the Difference?
Workers' comp is no-fault but caps benefits; personal injury is fault-based with pain-and-suffering damages. When both can apply, and what to do.
- How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
How medical bills, lost wages, and pain/suffering combine to value a personal injury claim, plus what raises or lowers it.
- How Long Does a Personal Injury Case Take?
Personal injury cases can take weeks to years. Learn the stages, what MMI means, and what actually slows a case down.
- Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
How to tell when a minor injury claim is a do-it-yourself job versus when serious injury, disputed fault, or big bills call for a lawyer.
- What Is Negligence in a Personal Injury Case?
Negligence means someone owed you a duty of care, broke it, and caused your injury. Here's how the four legal elements work, in plain English.
- How Personal Injury Lawyer Fees Work (Contingency Fees Explained)
Plain-English guide to how personal injury lawyer contingency fees work, including typical percentages, costs vs. fees, and liens.
- Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?
You likely have a case if someone's carelessness hurt you and caused real losses. Here's how to check the four legal elements yourself.
- What to Do After an Injury: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step-by-step guide to what to do after an injury: medical care, documentation, evidence, deadlines, and avoiding common settlement mistakes.
- Personal Injury Statute of Limitations: How Long You Have to File
How long you have to file a personal injury claim, why it varies by state, the discovery rule, minors, and shorter government-claim deadlines.
- How Personal Injury Settlements Work
Most injury claims settle before trial. Here's how demand, negotiation, the release, and payout actually work, and what gets deducted first.