The world of legality can be a tough one to navigate on your own. If you feel that you are a victim of a certain miscarriage of justice, you mightwant to get legal help to help you through these troubled times and get the reparation that you truly deserve. Injuries are common in this world, and many times, getting injured can result from our actions.
However, the world that we live in is not under our control. Sometimes we get injured as a result of something other than our own mistakes and blunders. Sometimes, you are the victim of a certain incident, and the injury it caused needs to be made up for properly.
You may have come across the two termsare personal injury and bodily injury. Even if you haven’t, you have recognized that it has to do with someone getting injured. Many people assume that these two terms (personal injury and bodily injury) can be used interchangeably and are essentially the same thing.
However, you might be surprised to know that there are some fundamental differences between these terms in definition, legal implication, and consequences. If you feel you have been subjected to one of these two injuries, the entire legal process regarding these two terms is completely different.
To make sure that you truly understand the vital differences and disparities between these two terms, we will share five differences.
1. Definition
First, let’s get the basic definition for these two terms sorted. Personal injury falls under the guise of civil law. A personal injury claim will cover the costs for those who have suffered from a certain accident, social wrong, or wrongful death. The thing about personal injury is that it doesn’t just mean physical injury. An example of it being the wrong social aspect of it. Defamation of character can fall under this category as well due to the mental and emotional damage that you may cause due to the actions of people or a group. Personal injury is a much vaster field than that of bodily injury.
Bodily injury, on the other hand, is different. It falls under criminal court cases and is claimed when harm is caused to someone’s body due to the actions of someone else. It refers to injuries that are sustained due to a crime such as assault. Even though many bodily injury claims are made due to crime, the implication of bodily injury can also come into the picture in terms of insurance.
Due to the difference in definitions, this creates big differences in legal context and implications as well.
2. Limitation
Personal injuries can include many forms of accidents and social harms such as defective products, wrongful death claims, defamation of character, slip and fall accidents, etc.
Due to the constant nature of personal injuries, it might be possible that you are a victim of such a miscarriage of justice. In that case, you should hire a well-regarded lawyer who specializes in personal injuries, such as Personal Injury Lawyer in St Louis, MO, from the Sumner Law Group.
Bodily injuries are very limited as compared to personal injuries. Bodily injuries are the result of someone else’s actions, so they are more minute. A common occurrence of bodily injury claims is injuries caused by car accidents.
Body injury liability insurance exists, and it is there to protect the driver, passenger, or pedestrian that might have gotten injuries to the action of the person who is insured. The person’s insurance compensates for this injury, and it is to be noted that this is not the same thing as a property damage liability claim.
So overall, the point to be noted is that personal injuries are way more common than bodily injuries in the legal world. This has more to do with the fact that personal injury claims can include more scenarios than bodily injuries.
3. How the claim is moved forward
This difference will show how the procedure for bodily injuries and personal injuries is different. An important distinction about how these two claims move forward is that personal injury falls under civil damages while bodily injury falls under criminal court damages.
A personal injury claim is very easy to pursue in most states and is a far less complicated legal procedure than bodily injury. You need to have proper evidence and reports that this is a situation that could have easily been avoided if not for the incompetence or carelessness of the responsible party.
For the claim, you first gather all the evidence, such as pictures and videos, which will illustrate how avoidable and unnecessary that experience could have been if the other party were more sensible. You then need to have a law enforcement report, such as a police report that meticulously explains the events that unfolded and transpired into you getting hurt.
Another important document that needs to be submitted is the medical report that shows the injury you have suffered and how it results from the injury you are claiming. The medical report needs to be in order and is a very strong card in personal injury cases, as it links the injury to the party’s negligence.
You also need to submit proof of how this injury has made your routine, day-to-day life more challenging. An example of this would be to show proof of work you missed due to this injury. After all this, the party responsible would pay for the damages to you.
For a bodily injury claim, the first thing you need to do is remain calm and stable and alert the police and authorities immediately. You do not need to panic, and this will only make the situation tougher for you, call the authorities, and they will help out with the initial portion while your lawyer deals with the second part of this claim.
The police will make sure that they link how you suffered bodily damage due to criminal activity or card accident (if the other person is responsible). Make sure you talk to witnesses and other people who may have been involved in this experience; they will help back you up and provide stability to your story. This makes the job easier for your lawyer because they have more to work with in terms of evidence and eye-witnesses.
4. Compensation
The damages that are claimed in personal injury are divided into two categories: economic and non-economic. Economic losses are easier to navigate, and there will be less dispute on it. Non-economic losses include pain, trauma,
mental health problems, and suffering resulting from this specific injury. This covers the medical bills, lost wages, and rehabilitation costs that have directly resulted from the injury. Non-economic losses are much harder to navigate and what you end up getting for them depends on the case and the type of lawyer you have.
A good lawyer will always get you the maximum amount for your pain and suffering; we know that an injury can be a traumatizing experience. With the help of amazing lawyers such asSumner Law Group, you will get the best representation that money can buy. An average personal injury settlement is usually between $3,000 and $75,000.
The compensation for bodily injuries usually revolves around the injuries you have suffered and the consequences of those injuries. First of all, the cost of medical checkups and treatment procedures, transport and rehabilitation costs are covered by bodily injury claims. Other than that, a victim CAN claim future losses that need to be covered by a bodily injury claim, but this is tough.
This can only apply when a person has suffered injuries that will affect the person for a large portion of their life, such as disfigurement, future therapy, and permanent disability. One of the major differences between a personal injury claim and a bodily injury claim is that the non-economic losses discussed in personal injuries such as pain, trauma, and suffering do not apply here. It is very complicated and tough to get the proper compensation (financially) for pain and trauma associated with a bodily injury claim.
5. Representation
Even though there are lawyers available for however you want to proceed with this, it needs to be noted that a huge difference between a personal injury and bodily injury is how straightforward it is.
A personal injury claim is usually much easier as it deals with civil law, and many times, companies are responsible for damages. However, when it comes to bodily injuries, these result from someone’s actions and are under criminal law. Hence the compensations are usually lower than that of personal injury claims.
Many lawyers are very adept and distinguished in personal injury claims and will easily help you, and the case will proceed smoothly. Bodily injury claims aren’t usually that lucrative, so even though there is representation there, it isn’t that much compared to personal injury.
Conclusion!
You should know the key differences between personal injury and bodily injury. You can cause harm, and you need to take the right steps to have a better life. Whether it is a personal injury or a bodily injury, please contact a lawyer and talk to them properly. A good lawyer will help you put things right and better your life.
