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Personal injury is a legal term for an injury to the body, mind, or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property.^[1] In common law jurisdictions the term is most commonly used to refer to a type of tort lawsuit in which the person bringing the suit (the plaintiff in American jurisdictions or claimant in English law) has suffered harm to their body or mind. Personal injury lawsuits are filed against the person or entity that caused the harm through negligence, gross negligence, reckless conduct, or intentional misconduct, and in some cases on the basis of strict liability.^[2] Different jurisdictions describe the damages (or, the things for which the injured person may be compensated) in different ways, but damages typically include the injured person's medical bills, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life.^[3]

Historically, personal injury lawsuits in tort for monetary damages were virtually nonexistent before the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.^[4] In agrarian, pre-industrial societies where most people did not travel far from home during their lifetimes, accidental bodily injuries inflicted by one stranger upon another were quite rare. When a grievous accident did occur, the culprit was usually a relative or close friend, and part of the same small local community. Most persons were judgment proof before the rise of the middle class and the invention of modern liability insurance.<^[5]

At common law, a victim of a personal injury and others with a direct interest in the outcome of an action (e.g., the victim's spouse) were automatically disqualified from testifying about the injury or its consequences (because the victim's self-interest in recovery was seen as inevitably resulting in an unacceptably high risk of perjury). Finally, pre-industrial injuries lacked the sheer magnitude of force of modern personal injuries, because they were normally inflicted by humans or animals, not powerful machines.^[5]

Injury victims were not necessarily left with no remedies at all; in some respects, criminal justice back then was much more expansive than its modern counterpart. For example, if an animal inflicted a personal injury, the animal itself could be the subject of criminal prosecution.^[6]

Another obstacle was that if an injury was severe enough to kill the victim, the common law followed the maxim actio personalis moritur cum persona. This literally meant that the cause of action died with the victim. It was not until the 19th century that legislatures throughout the common law world began to remedy this grave injustice by enacting statutes (e.g., the Fatal Accidents Act 1846) allowing for post-death wrongful death claims.^[7] Similarly, from the 1840s to the 1890s, legislatures throughout the common law world began to also enact statutes overturning the witness disqualification rule (after which victims could directly testify to how they had been injured and had subsequently suffered).^[5]

On top of all these barriers, most admissions of fault made by an employee of the defendant were inadmissible under the hearsay rule unless they could come in under the narrow res gestae exception for admissions of fault that were contemporaneously made with the negligent act.^[8] The modern hearsay exception for party admissions had not yet been invented.^[8]

In common law jurisdictions before the 1850s, an injury had to fit into a very small category in order to serve as the basis of a legal action worth pursuing to a final verdict: the injury was serious enough to justify legal action, but not so severe as to kill the victim; the injury, its cause, and its consequences had all been witnessed by entirely disinterested third parties; the defendant was a stranger to the plaintiff, but one with recoverable money or assets within the boundaries of the jurisdiction; and the plaintiff was able to find competent counsel willing and able to pursue such a rare kind of legal action.^[5] Such cases were not primarily motivated by the victim's interest in seeking compensation for their own pain and suffering, but were brought based on economic injury to someone "who possessed rights in the life and services of an immediate victim."^[9] In other words, in the eighteenth century, "American and English personal injury cases appear to have been concerned primarily with actions for loss of services—namely, damages to a master resulting from injury to members of the master’s household."^[9]

Starting in the middle of the 19th century, personal injury lawsuits were filed after accidents on the new railroads. Edward Watkin of the South Eastern Railway (England) complained in 1881 that^[10]

The result of this compensating law under which the slightest neglect makes the company liable, and the only thing to be considered is the amount of damages—the effect of this unjust law is to create a new profession compounded of the worst elements of the present professions—viz., expert doctors, expert attorneys, and expert witnesses. You will get a doctor to swear that a man who has a slight knock on the head to say that he has a diseased spine, and will never be fit for anything again, and never be capable of being a man of business or the father of a family. The result of that is all we can do is to get some other expert to say exactly the contrary.

The personal injury lawsuit evolved from a rare sight to a commonplace occurrence during the Second Industrial Revolution at the end of the 19th century. For example, in 1870, tort lawsuits made up only 4.2 percent of the contested caseload of New York City trial courts, but by 1910, that number had skyrocketed to 40.9 percent.^[11] In 1880, there were only about a dozen horsecar personal injury lawsuits currently pending in Boston; by 1910, "there were over 800 personal injury cases involving streetcars in superior court, and 600 more in the municipal court".^[11]

Common types of personal injury claims include road traffic accidents, work accidents, tripping accidents, assault claims, and product defect accidents (product liability). The term personal injury also incorporates injuries arising from medical and dental care, that which may lead to medical negligence claims). Other causes of personal injury claims, include conditions that are often classified as occupational diseases. Personal injury cases may also include toxic torts, in which a contaminant transmitted by air or water causes illness, injury, or death. Other tort claims may be pursued in conjunction with personal injury claims.

The most common personal injury claim involves injury from a motor vehicle accident.^[12]

Depending upon the intent or negligence of a responsible party, the injured party may be entitled to monetary compensation from that party through a settlement or a judgment.

Although personal injury cases may result from an intentional act, such as defamation, or from reckless conduct, most personal injury claims are based on a theory of negligence. To hold a party or parties legally liable for injuries so damages based upon negligence, four elements must be proved:^[13]

1. Party A had a duty to act reasonably according to the circumstances.
2. Party A breached the duty.
3. Party A's breach of the duty caused party B to be harmed.
4. Party B suffered monetary damages due to the harm suffered when party A breached its duty of care.

The amount of compensation for a personal injury will primarily depend on the severity of the injury. Serious injuries (such as severed limbs or brain damage) that cause intense physical pain and suffering receive the highest injury settlements.

As occurs in most civil cases, personal injury cases begin by filing with a court a document called a "complaint."^[14] Typically, a complaint in a personal injury case identifies the parties to the lawsuit, specifies what the defendant did wrong, alleges that the wrongdoing caused the plaintiff's injury, and specifies what kind of compensation the plaintiff is seeking. The complaint generally sets out the facts that the plaintiff will attempt to prove, and the defendant may attempt to disprove, throughout the litigation.

In most countries, payments will be through a settlement agreement or a judgment as a result of a trial. Settlements can be either lump-sum or as a structured settlement in which the payments are made over a period of time.^[15]

In some countries, those prevailing in trial may recover their attorneys' fees from the opposing party. In the United States, a party may be able to seek sanctions when the other party acts without legal basis or justifiable cause. For example, if the opposing party continues to object to the complaint without significant reason or justifiable cause, a party may apply a motion for punitive damages or that the opposing party is harassing and or speculating without merit or reason. The American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct proposes that lawyers should be prohibited from bringing – or defending – a lawsuit "unless there is a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous."^[16]

The manner in which attorneys are compensated for representing injured plaintiffs varies by jurisdiction. For example, in the United States, attorneys often represent clients on a "contingent fee basis" in which the attorney's fee is a percentage of the plaintiff's eventual compensation, payable when the case is resolved, with no payment necessary if the case is unsuccessful. Depending upon state regulations, a plaintiff's attorney may charge 1/3 of the proceeds recovered if a case is settled out of court or 40 percent if the matter must be litigated. Attorney fees are negotiable before hiring an attorney.

Although some jurisdictions have historically helped people obtain affordable legal representation, those systems have typically been narrowed and may exclude personal injury cases. For example, in England legal aid from the government was largely abolished in the late 1990s and replaced with arrangements whereby the client would be charged no fee if her or his case was unsuccessful.^[17]

Many jurisdictions have statutes of limitations that determine how much time an individual has to file a claim. If a lawsuit is not filed in a timely manner the statute of limitations provides a defense that can allow the defendant to have the case dismissed with no compensation to the plaintiff.

In England and Wales, under the limitation rules, where an individual is bringing a claim for compensation, court proceedings must be commenced within 3 years of the date of the accident, failing which the claimant will lose the right to bring their claim. However, injured parties who were under the age of 18 at the time of their accidents have until the day prior to their 21st birthdays to commence proceedings. A court has the discretion to extend or waive the limitation period if it is considered equitable to do so.^[18] Another exception is if the accident caused an injury, as an example industrial deafness, then the three-year period will start from when injured party knew or ought to have known that he or she had a claim.^[19]

In the United States, each state has different statutes of limitation, and within a state different types of injuries may have different statutes of limitation. Rape claims, for example, often have a much longer statute of limitation than other injuries. In some states such as Colorado, the statute of limitations starts to run once the injury is discovered. For example, for an individual who begins experiencing severe back problems six months after a car accident, the statute would start when the back problems began.

In India, in case of motor vehicle accidents there is no time limitation for bringing a claim for compensation.^[20]

Damages are categorized as either special or general. In torts, special damages are measurable costs which can be itemized such as medical expenses, lost earnings, and property damages whereas general damages include less measurable costs such as pain and suffering, loss of consortium, the effects of defamation, and emotional distress. Personal injury torts may result in claims for both special and general damages.

Aside from compensation for injuries, the injured person may get compensated for the lifetime effect of the injuries. An example, a keen cricketer suffers a wrist injury which prevents him from playing cricket during the cricket season. This is called loss of enjoyment of life and is compensable. Additionally, lost earning capacity (Future ability to learn) and future reasonably necessary medical expenses are recoverable.

In some cases, the injured might run their own businesses. The quantum assessment of the loss of profits (dividing into pre-trial and post-trial) requires forensic accounting expertise because the forensic accountant would consider various scenarios and adopt the best estimate based on the available objective data.^[21]

In the United Kingdom, the Damages Act 1996 gives the Lord Chancellor the ability to set a discount rate which courts must consider when awarding compensation for future financial losses in personal injury cases, reflecting the expectation that a lump sum compensation payment will attract investment interest. In 2001 this rate was set at 2.5%. In 2017, Liz Truss, then Lord Chancellor, reduced the rate to minus 0.75%, because three year average of real yields on index-linked gilts had fallen since 2001 and because of her legal duty to treat people in receipt of injury compensation awards as "risk-averse investors".^[22] In July 2019 the rate in England and Wales was increased to minus 0.25% following "extensive review" and in the light of concerns that "claimants were being substantially over-compensated" through use of the minus 0.75% rate.^[23] The insurance industry has recorded concerns that the rate is still too low, adding to insurance costs and leaving England and Wales as "an international outlier" when compared with other jurisdictions.^[24] The discount rate in Northern Ireland is minus 1.5%.^[25]

Some jurisdictions offer no-fault compensation systems for personal injury cases, or types of personal injury cases, whereby an injured person can recover compensation from a fund or insurance program without regard to who is at fault for the person's injury. For example, in the United States, most injuries that occur while the injured person is working for an employer are compensated through a no-fault workers' compensation system. In New Zealand, the Accident Compensation Corporation provides no-fault compensation to all accident victims (including medical malpractice), and personal injury lawsuits are rare (except in cases of reckless conduct).^[26] Proponents of this system say that it results in faster, fairer awards to victims. Opponents argue that it can lead to moral hazards by encouraging people to engage in behavior they would otherwise avoid for fear of legal liability, such as putting out a trampoline for neighborhood children to use.^[27]

Personal injury cases represent the most common type of lawsuits filed in United States federal district courts, representing 25.5 percent of cases filed in 2015.^[28] Personal injury claims represent a considerably smaller percentage of cases filed in state courts. For example, in Illinois, tort claims represent approximately 7% of the civil docket.^[29]

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Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

Established	(35 years ago)
Purpose	Personal injury
Coordinates	52°56′16″N 1°10′07″W / 52.9376472°N 1.1687034°W / 52.9376472; -1.1687034
Membership	3,100
Website	www.apil.org.uk

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is a United Kingdom not-for-profit organisation comprising about 3,300 personal injury solicitors, barristers, academics and students.

The association was founded in 1990 by a group of barristers and solicitors who wished to improve the services provided for victims of negligence.^[1] Its four founders are Rodger Pannone,^[2] Michael Napier CBE,^[3] John Melville Williams QC,^[4] and Simon Walton.^[5][6]

APIL runs an accreditation scheme which assesses personal injury lawyers according to their expertise and experience. Lawyers who gain this accreditation kitemark have at least five years' experience of handling personal injury claims, and are known as senior litigators, fellows or senior fellows, depending on the amount of experience they have.

All APIL members are bound to abide by a code of conduct and consumer charter.

APIL holds regular meetings with Government ministers, MPs, civil servants and opinion formers on campaigns for reform in the law,^[7] including:

• A campaign to deter motorists from driving too close to the vehicle in front in a bid to prevent low-speed collisions and whiplash injuries. At the centre of the Back Off campaign is an animation called "A Lesson In Social Graces".^[8]
• Lobbying for full and fair compensation for victims of workplace diseases.^[9]
• A campaign to reform the law on bereavement damages in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.^[10]

APIL's vision is for a society without needless injury, but when people are injured they receive the justice they need to rebuild their lives.^[11] APIL's four strategic pillars are:

• Rebuild public trust
• Prevent needless injury
• Ensure prompt and full redress
• Drive excellence in legal representation

APIL is governed by members who stand for election annually. The current president is Kim Harrison.^[12]

• Official website

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (December 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

A personal injury lawyer is a lawyer who provides legal services to those who claim to have been injured, physically or psychologically, as a result of the negligence of another person, company, government agency or any entity. Personal injury lawyers primarily practice in the area of law known as tort law. Examples of common personal injury claims include injuries from slip and fall accidents, traffic collisions, defective products, workplace injuries and professional malpractice.

The term "trial lawyers" is used to refer to personal injury lawyers, even though many other types of lawyers, including defense lawyers and criminal prosecutors also appear in trials and even though most personal injury claims are settled without going to trial.

A personal injury lawyer must qualify to practice law in the jurisdiction in which the lawyer practices. In many states, they must also pass a written ethics examination.^[1]

Lawyers may take continuing legal education (CLE) classes in order to learn about developments in the law or to learn about new practice areas. In states that require lawyers to attend CLE, personal injury lawyers may take CLE courses relevant to personal injury law, but are not required to do so.^[2]

Certain bar associations and attorney organizations offer certifications, including certification of lawyers in the field of personal injury.^[3] Certification is not required to practice personal injury law, but may help a lawyer demonstrate knowledge in the field to potential clients. Within the U.S., not all state bars offer certification for personal injury law. Some states, such as New Jersey,^[4] allow lawyers to become Certified Trial Attorneys, a credential that is available to both plaintiff and defense attorneys. Some states, such as Arizona,^[5] restrict the use of the words "specialist" or "specialize" to lawyers who have obtained a certification from the State Bar Board of Legal Specialization in a specific field of law, with one such certification being in the area of personal injury law.

Lawyers may concentrate their practice to specific areas of law, including personal injury law.^[6] Some lawyers may further specialize to a specific area of personal injury, such as medical malpractice law. By limiting the range of cases they handle, personal injury lawyers are able to acquire specialized knowledge and experience.

Before accepting a new case, a personal injury lawyer typically interviews a prospective client and evaluates the client's case to determine the basic facts and potential legal claims that might be made, identifies possible defendants, and evaluates the strength of the case.^[7] A lawyer may decline to accept a case if the lawyer believes that the legal claims will not succeed in court or if the cost of litigation is expected to exceed the amount that can reasonably be recovered from the defendants as compensation for the client's injury.^[8]

Lawyer fees may be charged in a number of ways, including contingency fees, hourly rates, and flat fees. In many countries, personal injury lawyers work primarily on a contingency fee basis, sometimes called an if-come fee, through which the lawyer receives a percentage of a client's recovery as a fee, but does not recover a fee if the claim is not successful.^[7]

In some jurisdictions, or by virtue of the retainer agreement between an attorney and client, the amount of the legal fee may vary depending upon whether a case settles before a lawsuit is filed, after a lawsuit is filed but before trial, or if the case goes to trial.^[9] For example, a retainer agreement might provide that a lawyer will receive a 33 and 1/3% contingency fee if a case settles before a lawsuit is filed, a 40% contingency fee if the case settles after the lawsuit is filed, or up to 45% if the lawsuit goes to trial.

Due to the high cost of litigation, personal injury lawyers are rarely retained to work based on an hourly fee.^[10] However, defense attorneys who are hired to contest personal injury claims are often paid on an hourly basis.

An attorney should provide diligent representation to clients, and the ultimate professional responsibility of a personal injury lawyer is to help plaintiffs obtain just compensation for their losses. As with all lawyers, the attorney-client relationship is governed by rules of ethics.^[11]

In the United States, lawyers are regulated by codes of conduct established by state bar associations, which have the power to take disciplinary action against lawyers who violate professional or ethical regulations.^[12] States normally require all contingency agreements between lawyers and their clients to be in writing, and may limit the amount that may be charged as a contingency fee to a specific maximum percentage of the recovery.

The market for personal injury firms is highly competitive in the U.S., and some firms maintain large marketing budgets to attract potential clients. Marketing efforts include advertising on television, radio, the Internet and social media, billboards, and in print publications. In some jurisdictions, lawyer marketing has moved away from the historic expectation of decorum in lawyer advertising. An industry has arisen for law firms that do little legal practice, instead focusing on client generation and referral of cases to other law firms.^[13]

Although membership is not required for personal injury practice, many personal injury lawyers join professional associations. For example:

• American Bar Association – a professional association dedicated to improving the legal system and providing accreditation for law schools and continuing legal education programs
• Association of Personal Injury Lawyers – an association based in Nottingham, England; founded in 1990 by personal injury lawyers on behalf of accident victims
• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles – CAALA is one of the largest associations of plaintiffs' lawyers in the United States and hosts one of the largest annual attorneys' conventions.
• American Association for Justice – an association of trial lawyers that was founded in 1946 by a group of plaintiffs' attorneys committed to safeguarding victims' rights. Prior to 2007, this organization was called the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, or ATLA.^[14]
• The National Trial Lawyers – a national organization composed of trial lawyers, offering networking opportunities, advocacy training and educational programs for trial lawyers.^[15]
• Personal Injuries Bar Association (PIBA) - a specialist bar association for UK barristers who practise in the field of personal injuries.^[16]

Critics of personal injury lawyers claim that litigation increases the cost of products and services and the cost of doing business.^[17] For example, critics of medical malpractice lawyers argue that lawsuits increase the cost of healthcare, and that lawsuits may inspire doctors to leave medical practice or create doctor shortages. These concerns, often raised in response to efforts to reform healthcare, have not been well substantiated. A publication by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found little evidence that traditional tort reforms affect medical liability costs or defensive medicine.^[18] A study conducted on a bipartisan basis in Texas has found that tort reform, once enacted, had no impact on reducing the cost of medical care, tending to throw doubt on claims made by tort reform advocates.^[19]

• Ambulance chasing
• Big Apple Pothole and Sidewalk Protection Committee
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