In Indiana and all other states, daily life typically includes interaction with other people, including some to whom you may owe a duty of care. For instance, your employer owes you the duty of providing proper training and equipment to keep you safe on the job. Your fellow commuters in traffic owe you a duty of reasonable care on the roadway, which includes obeying traffic laws and safety regulations.
If someone breaches a duty that is owed to you, and this breach of duty causes you injury, state law allows you to seek financial recovery for your losses in court. To do so, you would file a personal injury claim, thereby becoming a plaintiff in a lawsuit. The defendant or defendants would be anyone you name whose negligence, reckless behavior or malice that you claim caused you damages.
Damages often include additional factors beyond physical injury
If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, you might suffer severe physical injuries. In addition to the physical aspect of damages, however, you might also suffer economic distress and emotional trauma. In certain circumstances, this may be included in a list of damages in a personal injury claim.
You must convince the court to rule in your favor
As a plaintiff in an Indiana personal injury case, you must provide evidence in court to show that the defendant owed you a duty, breached that duty and caused you injury because of his or her negligence. If you are considering filing such a claim, you may request a meeting with Matthew D. Barrett P.C., to discuss your case. Seeking legal counsel before heading to court often increases the ability to build a strong case and achieve a favorable outcome.