One need only look at the phrase “personal injury law” to understand what this field of law encompasses—it has to do with the legal dimensions of instances in which you, personal (either bodily or otherwise) suffered injury (either physical or otherwise). These types of injury might involve, but are certainly not limited to, financial losses due to misleading advertising, or physical injuries due to the negligent driving of another. In order to be held accountable for causing injury to you, the person does not need to be involved in criminal proceedings. That is to say, they don’t have to be charged with a crime and prosecuted in order for you to take them to court for the injuries they caused you. Personal injury is civil law, and such a type of law does not always overlap with criminal law.
Below are some examples of recent legal battles that can fall under the scope of personal injury law. There are two stories of filed lawsuits, and one of a settled case (as most personal injury cases settle before actually ever going to trial). Keeping informed of recent developments in the legal realm is important; it will leave you more knowledgeable and more confident in dealing with a personal injury issue should you ever encounter one.
Let’s start with the New York Police Department. In mid-2012, there was a shooting outside of the Empire State Building in New York City. A disgruntled former employee accosted a former colleague outside the landmark building and shot him dead. In response, NYPD officers close to the scene shot at the suspected perpetrator and, in the process, struck nine bystanders (with bullets, ricocheted-shrapnel, etc). Now, one of the people injured in the police fire, a college student from North Carolina, is suing the NYPD, claiming that their officers were not properly trained in how to deal with a shooting like the one that happened—a shooting in such a traffic-heavy tourist attraction, where shots fired down a busy street block might very well result in civilian injuries. The lawsuit is claiming “gross negligence” on the part of the NYPD in their failure to wait to fire at or apprehend the culprit until he had moved to a location where civilians would not be caught in the gunfire.
The next example of a personal injury-related lawsuit is perhaps less noteworthy but nonetheless important in its providing examples of the wide-range of lawsuits filed in an effort to cover damages. There is a class-action lawsuit in the works against Subway, the sub/hero/hoagie chain recently famous for their notable “$5 footlong” advertising scheme, in which they advertise their relatively inexpensive foot-long sandwich. Well, some curious individuals who have spent a lot of money on Subway sandwiches over the years decided to measure the “footlong” sandwiches to see if thy truly are what they claim to be. As it turns out, the lawsuit claims, the measured sandwiches have turned out to be anywhere from half an inch to a full inch shorter than their name implies. Though the lawsuit is pending, corporate offices for Subway have argued that the name “footlong” is just that—a name—and is not intended to be interpreted as a measurement.
Finally, let’s look at a recent settlement of a personal injury case. In 2007, a prisoner called out to prison guards for his seizure medication, which he desperately needed—for days. The prison medical providers did not provide him with the medication, and, as a result, he suffered a debilitating brain aneurysm. Now, the 50-year-old former-inmate requires around-the-clock care from his mother. Because of his horrific circumstances, and the negligence that caused such circumstances, a jury recently awarded the man $12 million, issuing the verdict against two of the prison medical technicians who were paid to give prisoners their medications.
We hope this blog gave you a general sense of personal injury law—it’s far more than simple car crash cases. If you’ve been injured—in any way—by the negligence of another, you may have a legal claim to make against them. Don’t suffer for things for which other people are responsible.
If you have any questions about any of the cases discussed in this blog, or any other personal injury matter, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation at 561-266-9191 or email us at daronberg@aronberglaw.com.
