Personal injury law, formally known as tort law, is a branch of civil law that allows individuals who have been harmed due to another party’s negligence or wrongful conduct to seek financial compensation. The foundation of any personal injury claim rests on four key elements: duty of care, breach of that duty, causation, and damages. For example, a driver has a legal duty to operate their vehicle safely; if they run a red light and injure another person, they have breached that duty and may be held liable. Common personal injury cases include car accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, defective products, and workplace injuries.
When a personal injury claim is successful, victims can recover two main types of damages. Economic damages cover tangible losses such as medical bills, lost wages, and rehabilitation costs, while non-economic damages compensate for intangible harm like pain and suffering or emotional distress. Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay nothing upfront and the attorney only collects a fee — typically 25% to 40% — if the case is won. It’s also important to act promptly, as every state imposes a statute of limitations, usually two to three years, that sets a strict deadline for filing a lawsuit.