Personal Injury Law in Little Rock, AR
Were you hurt due to another’s negligence in Little Rock? 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 Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock 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 Little Rock, AR
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 Little Rock
Almost 45 percent of the people in Arkansas live in rural areas, compared to only 19% of people across the U.S. This can make it harder and more expensive to get emergency treatment. In cities, such as Little Rock, this isn’t applicable as population centers attract more medicine. In addition, according to the Arkansas Department of Health, accidents are the fifth leading cause of death in Arkansas and are the number one killer of Arkansans between the ages of one and 44. Motor vehicle accidents are also the most common cause of unintentional death.
Steps in a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Little Rock, AR
Once you determine that you wish to proceed forward with a personal injury action in Arkansas
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. The court process in Arkansas is as simple as filing a suit with the court, and beginning the discovery process with the defendant, if no settlement can be immediately reached. After this process is complete you may see your case proceed to trial. In the case of workers’ compensation claims, it should be noted that often you have to file a personal injury suit to recover any economic damages sustained. 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. Finding an average settlement amount for a Little Rock, Arkansas personal injury case is difficult. This is because the value of cases fluctuates and is affected by a huge variety of factors such as but not limited to; the severity of your injury, or medical costs. However, most personal injury claims in Arkansas stem from motor vehicle accidents. Typically in Arkansas, the average cost of an injury payout in the case of a car accident was about $52,000, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation. 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 AR, that means you risk not receiving any compensation at all. If your Arkansas 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 subjective. If you receive special compensatory damages, you may also collect general damages. If your injury was particularly painful, you might request that the judge order the defendant to compensate you for the pain and anguish. Punitive damages are the most rarely awarded and are up to the court. The judge or jury may determine that the defendant’s negligence was particularly heinous and the resulting injury to you was equally horrific. Arkansas is one of a few states that has no caps on the damages that you can seek in a personal injury settlement. In personal injury cases, the injured party must file suit within a specific time frame, as determined by state law. This is governed by statutes of limitation, which typically start from the date of the injury or when the injury is discovered. The second option can be more complicated, as the plaintiff must prove when they first realized the extent of the injury. In Arkansas, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is three years. In Little Rock, this means you have three years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. It’s important to consult with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Waiting too long may risk missing out on the compensation you deserve for your injury. Pursue a personal injury claim in Little Rock 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 Arkansas 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. Has reading this article raised questions about a different sector of Little Rock, AR law?Arkansas Personal Injury Settlement
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