How you got hurt...
for example:
Automobile accident (a/k/a car accident, auto accident, motor vehicle accident)
Trip and fall accident
Slip and fall accident
Pedestrian accident (a/k/a pedestrian knockdown)
Premises accident
School accident
Negligent supervision
Building accident
Wrongful death
Sidewalk accident
Ceiling collapse
Drunk driver
Bicycle accident
Toxic fumes
...and many more.
What kind of injury?
for example:
Broken leg
Broken arm
Head and Neck injury
Internal injury
Fume inhalation
Spinal cord injury
Scar injury
Lung puncture
Catastrophic injury
Serious injury
Brain injury
Back injury
Herniated disc
Functional limitation
Broken finger
Cognitive impairment
Loss of vision
Hearing loss
Pain and suffering
Lost wages
Lost enjoyment of life
Out of pocket expenses
...and many more.
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 You were hurt in a car accident and broke your arm; you tripped on a dangerous sidewalk and fractured your leg; a ceiling caved in on your head and your memory and moods are affected; a teacher lost your child on a school trip and your child was assaulted; oil fumes escaped and damaged your lungs; a truck hit your bicycle and you have a nasty scar...
Chances are you're hurting, angry and frustrated. Will you be permanently hurt or disabled? Will you need to have surgery? Will the injury cause you to miss time from work or maybe even lose your job? Will you be stuck with medical bills even though you weren't at fault? Do you have a case against the party responsible for your injury? In addition to the physical injuries, are you feeling frightened or depressed?
At a time like this, you need a lawyer you can trust, who will explain what your rights are and fight to make sure you get what you deserve. Otherwise, you may end up being victimized twice: first by the injury itself, and second by missing out on the compensation to which you're entitled.
Whose fault was it? Do you have a claim? What should you do immediately to protect your rights?
First of all, you need get first-class medical treatment, including referrals to the relevant specialists. Second, you need to find a personal injury lawyer who will take your case personally; to fight like hell if you have a case, and tell you the truth if you don't. That lawyer will take photos of everything connected to your accident if you haven't already, and get the names and addresses of witnesses, if any.
There are two parts to any personal injury case: (1) liability, and (2) damages. That means: (1) was the accident partly or 100% the fault of some other person or business; was that party "negligent"? ; and (2) what injuries (medical, emotional, financial) did you suffer?
Sometimes it's easy to know if you have a case, and who caused the accident. For example: if a car runs a Stop Sign and hits your car, it sounds like you have a simple case. But there are other things to consider: was that other driver reacting to some kind of emergency situation? Was the Stop Sign obscured by a tree which should have been pruned by the City? Was that other driver on the job, in which case maybe their employer is responsible? Did some other vehicle play a part? Are your own injuries likely to be "serious" enough to meet the No Fault law "threshold" that is necessary to win a lawsuit? Does the other car have liability insurance? Have you been examined by top-notch doctors? Have all the possible medical, psychological and financial consequences been investigated?
These are only some of the issues a good lawyer will consider. The question is: who is the right lawyer for you and for your case? I will try to answer that question: read on.
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