Personal Injury Law in Jackson, MS
Were you hurt due to another’s negligence in Jackson? If so, it may have far-reaching consequences such as a loss of wages or extensive medical treatment. Personal injury law allows an injured person to get damages if the responsible person acted recklessly. A personal injury attorney in Jackson, MS can help navigate the lawsuit to make sure you receive all of the compensation you deserve.
What Is Personal Injury Law?
Personal injury law in Jackson relates to the legal process of getting compensation for an injury caused by someone else’s negligent behavior. These cases involve one party, the plaintiff, trying to seek financial compensation for expenses incurred and money lost as a result of the defendant’s reckless behavior. These cases involve both parties’ insurance companies and may even settle before proceeding to litigation.
Examples of Personal Injury Claims in Jackson, MS
Some personal injury claims are more common than others. However, almost any incident that ends with a physical or mental injury could qualify, depending on the circumstances.
A few of the most common personal injury claims are:
- Car Accidents
- Slip and Fall
- Dog Bites
- Medical Malpractice
- Workplace Accidents
- Burn Injuries
Most Common Injuries in Jackson
Mississippi has a higher work-related injury rate than most other states. In cities like Jackson, work-related injuries are even more common than in other less populated areas of the state. Leading causes of injury in the Mississippi include back strains, concussions, and motor vehicle accidents according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Steps in a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Jackson, MS
Once you determine that you wish to proceed forward with a personal injury action in Mississippi
A lawsuit begins when a complaint is filed with the court and served on the defendant. The complaint alleges your assertion as the plaintiff that the defendant’s negligent behavior resulted in damage to your body or mental state. As the process proceeds forward, you may have to go through depositions, independent medical evaluations, and document production. This discovery process is lengthy and ends in either a settlement or a court appearance. After completing your initial consultation with a Jackson, Mississippi attorney, they will file and serve a complaint to the court on your behalf. The defendant will respond thereby enacting a discovery process where both sides are allowed to collect evidence applicable to the suit. Finally, this discovery will lead to the filing of motions, which ends in either a settlement or a trial. With most personal injury cases, insurance companies and injured parties prefer settlement negotiations rather than going to court for a trial. You may wonder how much you should seek in your settlement and the factors that impact the final amount. The Mississippi Insurance Department has great resources for Jackson consumers to better understand the laws that surround one of the most major causes of personal injury in Mississippi, motor vehicle accidents. However, final settlement amounts vary heavily depending on a variety of factors that can affect your personal injury case. Factors such as the type of accident, work loss compensation, and the severity of your injury. Notably, in most personal injury cases across the nation, those involved tend to settle outside of court for anywhere between $3,000-$75,000. If the other party has insurance, the insurance company likely wants to settle out of court to avoid leaving the final settlement decision to a jury. Settlements benefit injured parties as much as they do insurance companies. This is because accepting a settlement means you receive compensation sooner rather than later. Also, by going to court in MS, that means you risk not receiving any compensation at all. If your Mississippi personal injury lawsuit goes before a judge or jury, your legal team will be ready with a request for damages. In personal injury cases, there are three types of damage awards a court may order the defendant to pay to compensate you for the damage he or she inflicted. Special compensatory damages reimburse you for things such as lost income, medical bills, and insurance deductibles. You submit receipts proving these losses. General compensatory damages are more subjective and often awarded alongside special compensatory damages. If your injury caused significant pain and suffering, you might ask the court to require the defendant to compensate you for the physical and emotional anguish you endured. Punitive damages, while rare, are determined by the court. A judge or jury may award them if the defendant’s negligence was particularly egregious, resulting in severe harm. In Mississippi, there are no caps on economic damages, such as medical expenses. However, non-economic damages, like pain and suffering, are capped at $1,000,000. Punitive damages are also subject to varying limits based on specific circumstances. The injured party may have a set amount of time to file suit for a personal injury case. State law establishes statutes of limitation. Commonly, the plaintiff’s injury or discovery of the injury begins the statute of limitations. However, the latter factor is trickier, as the plaintiff will have to prove when the injury was first realized. The statute of limitations for personal injury suits in Mississippi is three years. In Jackson, this means you have three years from the date of your injury to file a relevant suit with the civil court. We recommend you speak with a personal injury lawyer for this matter. Don’t wait too long and miss out on receiving the compensation you deserve for your injury. Pursue a personal injury claim in Jackson against the responsible person if you are dealing with an injury caused by someone else. One of our experienced lawyers can help you navigate your personal injury claim. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Mississippi state lines. Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area! Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States. With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations.Mississippi Personal Injury Settlement
Damage Awards in Mississippi
Statute of Limitations in Jackson, MS Personal Injury Law?
Work With an Experienced Jackson, MS Lawyer
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