{"id":358043,"date":"2016-04-04T10:46:22","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/hirealawyer\/choosing-the-right-lawyer\/personal-injury-plaintiff.html"},"modified":"2024-01-09T14:31:35","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T19:31:35","slug":"personal-injury-plaintiff","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/hirealawyer\/choosing-the-right-lawyer\/personal-injury-plaintiff.html","title":{"rendered":"What Is Plaintiff-Side Personal Injury Law?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What Is Plaintiff-Side Personal Injury Law?<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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A personal injury case is a type of civil action. If another person’s carelessness or negligence results in your injury, you may have a cause of action for personal injury. As the person suing, you would be the plaintiff. Most personal injury cases involve insurance claims, and an attorney gets involved when the insurance company refuses to pay or the settlement offer is insufficient.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you’ve been in an accident, you might hear someone suggest getting a lawyer. That might be a good idea.<\/p>\n

Most personal injury claims do not settle for millions of dollars to make the plaintiff rich. Rather, they aim to cover the costs of the injury to make the plaintiff as whole again as possible. A good plaintiff-side personal injury attorney seeks a fair settlement to compensate their client for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.<\/p>\n

This article reviews what to expect when you hire a personal injury attorney<\/a> after a serious accident or injury.<\/p>\n

What Is a Personal Injury Case?<\/h2>\n

Whenever another person causes someone’s injury, the injured person has a claim for\u00a0personal injury<\/a>. Personal injury cases are negligence claims. The injured party, called the “plaintiff” or “claimant,” must prove that the negligent party, called the “defendant,” was responsible for causing their injuries.<\/p>\n

Unlike a criminal case, where the state must prove the charges, the plaintiff must prove their case in a civil case. This means proving negligence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The plaintiff must show the defendant:<\/p>\n