Personal injury can include basically any type of physical or mental injury to a person. However, not all types of personal injury are suitable for a lawsuit. According to the most recent survey of the US Court system, these are the most common types of personal injury lawsuit filed in state courts, in rank from most to least:
- Motor vehicle accident
- Medical malpractice
- Premises liability
- Intentional tort
- Product liability
It’s also worth noting that motor vehicle cases represent more than half of all tort cases in the US. There are more than 25 times as many motor vehicle lawsuits filed as there are product liability lawsuits.
The distribution is a little different for US District Courts, where the most common types of personal injury lawsuits are:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Product liability
- Marine accidents
- Medical malpractice
It’s also worth noting that “common” personal injury lawsuits is a bit of a misnomer. Far from the myth of skyrocketing lawsuits in the US, the number of lawsuits filed has been on a steady decline for decades. According to data from the Justice Department, federal tort lawsuits filed in US District Courts declined by 79 percent from 1985 to 2003. In addition, tort filings in state courts declined by 31.8 percent from 1992 to 2001, and continues to decline. From 2007 to 2008, they fell another 8 percent.
If you have been injured, you should exercise your right to seek compensation with a personal injury lawsuit, if necessary. To learn more about your legal rights, please contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, PC, for a free case evaluation.