Personal injury and medical malpractice actions are designed to compensate victims for intentional and negligent actions of others. There can be significant awards to individuals injured by products placed into the stream of commerce which are harmful when used as directed. The law seeks to compensate victims and their families for pain and suffering, lost earnings, loss of consortium, and at times award punitive damages in the event of gross negligence.
Common personal injury claims include those arising from motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls and construction accidents, including falls from scaffolds and buildings. However, they may also include those arising out of assaults and batteries, even sexual assaults and murders, or when victims are injured on the premises of others.
These claims also include medical malpractice. Medical malpractice claims can arise from a variety of circumstances such as the failure to properly daignose an illness, surgical and medication errors.
Products liability law includes products that are unsafe and harmful when used in their intended manner. This area of the law also includes harmful prescription drugs, such as Vioxx, implanted surgical devices, and also includes food poisoning, such as recent e-coli outbreaks.
