1. A Guide to Personal Injury Law

2. Personal injury law includes legislations that determine if there has been physical injury or loss as a result of negligence by another party. If negligence is proved, then the injured party may be entitled to a form of compensation that in most cases involves cash rewards. Of all the lawsuits filed in Canada every year, one of the most followed lawsuits is those that involve personal injury cases, especially those that result in substantial cash settlements. The amount to be offered as compensation depends on the seriousness of the injury.

3. The function of personal injury laws and cases pertinent to them is to offer protection to citizens and consumers from the negligence of other individuals or corporations as well as the government and to provide suitable remedies to those who have been injured as a result of negligence. Personal injury laws also protect against other injuries that may not necessarily be physical such as slander, libel or malicious prosecution.

4. There are various types of personal injury cases depending on their causes. The most popular personal injury cases are those that involve traffic accidents. Other common personal injury cases are those that arise from accidents in the workplace that may involve workman’s compensation. The largest cash settlement made for personal injury lawsuits involve use of defective products that cause industrial diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis that mostly infer corporate liability.

5. The large settlements that have been awarded for personal injury cases make personal injury law a very controversial aspect of litigation with various groups calling for reforms in this sector to limit the payments. Some feel that the large settlements awarded for personal injury cases is detrimental to establishing a good investment environment and also results in a backlog of cases in courtrooms from individuals filing frivolous complaints with the aim of getting financial reward.

6. Though cash repayments are the most common result of such lawsuits, other effects include the change in behaviours and attitudes from the persons or organizations liable under personal injury laws. Many products now carry a label with details of any potential effects of using the products; this is a direct result of the efforts of companies to shield themselves against personal injury lawsuits.