Overview.
Personal injury claims
encompass a wide variety of injuries from many
different sources. Personal injury is typically
thought of as any physical or mental injury suffered
by an individual that is the result of another
party’s negligence. Personal injury cases can be
life changing, and an attorney can help you recover
medical expenses and loss wages while taking the
stress of the legal process off of you. At The Beard
Law Group our main areas of personal injury practice
are:
- Automobile Accidents
- Defective Products
- Dog Bite
- Premises Liability
- Social Security Issues
- Workman’s compensation
- Wrongful death
In personal injury cases, you’re entitled to your
medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental
anguish, lost wages, property damage, reduction in
property value and so on. In some cases where the
injury will cause long term problems, you may be
awarded money for future pain and suffering and
future lost wages, as long as it’s not speculative.
In cases where you can prove wantonness, willfulness
or a reckless disregard for your safety you may also
be entitled to a punitive damages award.
No matter the type of personal injury claim there
is no formula to determine an award amount. There
are many things to consider when determining how
much a claim is worth. Our attorney’s will fight to
recover for you, because we understand the emotional
stress and monetary loss that can be associated with
personal injury.
In Alabama certain claims must be filed within a
statutorily prescribed time period also referred to
as the statute of limitations. Listed below are the
statute of limitations for some of the more common
personal injury claims.
- Wrongful Death- A wrongful death action must be filed within two years of the date of death.
- Personal Injury Actions- A personal injury action must be filed within two years of the date of the injury.
- Products Liability Actions- These actions must be filed within one year of the date that the injury occurred. However, in cases where the injury is not discovered before that time because it resulted from exposure to or ingestion of a harmful substance over time, the plaintiff has one year from the time that the injury is, or should have been, discovered to file suit. With regard to initial sellers, the action must commence within 10 years of the product being put into use unless this is waived in writing.
- Special Rules for Minors-
Except in cases of medical malpractice or
wrongful death, the limitations period begins to
run on the minor’s 19th birthday but will last
no longer than three years.
