Personal Injury Legal Guide 2024

Personal injury law encompasses legal principles and practices aimed at providing recourse for individuals who have suffered physical, emotional, or financial harm due to the negligence or intentional actions of others. It covers a wide range of incidents, including motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall incidents, medical malpractice, and more. Personal injury law allows victims to seek compensation from the at-fault party to help them recover from their losses and move forward with their lives. Whether it’s securing compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, or pain and suffering, personal injury law serves to uphold the rights of individuals who have been wrongfully harmed.

With over 70 years of combined experience, Feller & Wendt is dedicated to providing expert legal representation to personal injury victims in Arizona, Utah, and Idaho. Our team of seasoned attorneys understands the intricacies of personal injury law and is committed to advocating tirelessly for our clients’ rights. Contact Feller & Wendt today for a free consultation, and let us put our expertise to work for you.

A Brief Overview of Personal Injury Law

Personal injury law encompasses a vast and intricate legal field, aiming to provide recourse for individuals who have suffered harm due to the negligence or intentional actions of others. At its core, personal injury law seeks to compensate victims for the physical, emotional, and financial damages they have endured. 

The Legal Elements of Personal Injury Claims

Certain legal elements must be established to pursue a successful personal injury claim. These elements typically include:

• Duty of Care: The first element of a personal injury claim involves demonstrating that the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff. For example, drivers owe a duty of care to other motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists to operate their vehicles safely and prudently.
• Breach of Duty: The second element involves proving that the defendant breached their duty of care through negligent or intentional actions. This breach may occur in various ways, such as failing to follow traffic laws, neglecting maintenance responsibilities, or disregarding safety protocols.
• Causation: The third element requires establishing a causal connection between the defendant’s breach of duty and the plaintiff’s injuries. In other words, the plaintiff must demonstrate that the defendant’s actions directly resulted in the harm suffered.
• Damages: Finally, to recover compensation, the plaintiff must demonstrate the existence of damages resulting from the defendant’s breach of duty. These damages may include medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other tangible or intangible losses.

By understanding your legal rights and options, you can pursue fair compensation for your injuries and losses and hold negligent parties accountable for their actions.

Types of Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury law encompasses a broad spectrum of accidents and incidents. Some common types of personal injury claims include:

• Motor Vehicle Accidents: Motor vehicle accidents, including car crashes, truck accidents, and motorcycle collisions, are among the most prevalent causes of personal injury claims. Negligent driving behaviors, such as speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving, often contribute to these accidents.
• Slip-And-Fall Accidents: Slip-and-fall accidents occur when individuals trip, slip, or fall due to hazardous conditions on another party’s property. Property owners have a duty to maintain safe premises and warn visitors of potential dangers.
• Bicycle Accidents: Bicycle accidents often result from collisions with motor vehicles or hazardous road conditions. Cyclists may suffer severe injuries due to the lack of protective barriers provided by cars.
• Pedestrian Accidents: Pedestrian accidents involve collisions between pedestrians and motor vehicles. Negligent drivers failing to yield the right-of-way or observe traffic signals often cause these accidents.
• Dog Bite Accidents: Dog bite accidents occur when individuals are bitten or attacked by dogs. Dog owners are typically liable for injuries caused by their pets, regardless of whether the dog has a history of aggression.
• Product Liability: Product liability claims arise from injuries caused by defective or dangerous products. Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers may be held liable for injuries resulting from design defects, manufacturing defects, or inadequate warnings.
• Medical Malpractice: Medical malpractice occurs when healthcare providers fail to meet the accepted standard of care, resulting in harm to patients. Examples include surgical errors, misdiagnoses, medication errors, and birth injuries.
• Mass Torts: Mass torts involve multiple plaintiffs pursuing claims against a common defendant, often arising from widespread exposure to hazardous substances or defective products.
• Nursing Home Negligence and Abuse: Nursing home negligence and abuse cases involve harm inflicted on elderly or vulnerable residents of nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and financial exploitation are common forms of mistreatment.
• Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse claims encompass a range of offenses, including assault, harassment, molestation, and rape. Victims may pursue civil claims against perpetrators and entities that failed to prevent the abuse.
• Wrongful Death: Wrongful death claims arise when individuals die as a result of another party’s negligence or misconduct. Surviving family members may seek compensation for their losses, including funeral expenses, lost income, and emotional distress.

Navigating the complexities of personal injury law requires a comprehensive understanding of the legal elements that apply to each claim.

Understanding the Possible Damages in Personal Injury Claims

As a result of negligence or wrongful actions, victims are able to seek compensation for the damages they have incurred. The types of damages that may be available in a claim depend on the type of claim and the state. Some of the damages that may be available include the following:

Medical Expenses

Medical expenses are one of the most significant categories of damages in personal injury claims. This includes the costs associated with emergency medical treatment, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, therapy, and future medical care related to the injury.

Lost Income

Victims of personal injury often suffer from lost income due to their inability to work while recovering from their injuries. Lost income damages compensate for wages lost during the recovery period, including wages from missed workdays, reduced work hours, or the inability to return to work in the same capacity as before the injury.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering damages are intended to compensate the victim for the physical pain, discomfort, and emotional distress endured as a result of the injury. This includes both the immediate pain experienced after the accident and any ongoing pain and suffering that affects the victim’s quality of life.

Disfigurement or Permanent Disability

If the injury results in disfigurement, scarring, or permanent disability, victims may be entitled to compensation for the physical and emotional effects of these changes to their appearance or abilities. These damages acknowledge the lasting impact of the injury on the victim’s life.

Property Damage

In cases involving motor vehicle accidents or other incidents causing damage to personal property, victims may seek compensation for the repair or replacement costs of their damaged property.

Punitive Damages

In cases involving egregious conduct or intentional wrongdoing by the defendant, punitive damages may be awarded in addition to compensatory damages. Punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant and deter similar conduct in the future. However, they are not available in all personal injury cases and are typically reserved for cases involving malice, fraud, or gross negligence.

By understanding the types of damages available in personal injury claims and the evidence required to prove these damages, victims can pursue fair compensation for their losses.

Important Personal Injury Laws in Utah

While there are a lot of general concepts in personal injury law, each state has specific laws that may impact your claim. In Utah, some of those laws include the following: 

Deadlines for Filing Lawsuits

In Utah, you have a four-year window from the date of the accident or injury to file a personal injury case in court. If you miss this deadline, you may lose your right to file a claim.

Shared Fault

Utah follows a comparative fault rule, meaning if you’re found partly at fault for your injuries, your damages may be reduced. If you’re 50% or more at fault, you may be barred from recovering any damages.

“Strict” Liability for Dog Bite Cases

Utah law holds dog owners strictly liable for injuries caused by their dogs, regardless of the animal’s past behavior or the owner’s knowledge of it.

Caps on Damages

Utah caps non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, in medical malpractice cases at $450,000 for cases after May 15, 2010.

Injury Cases Involving the Government

If you’re injured due to the negligence of a government employee or agency in Utah, different rules apply, including a one-year limit to file a claim.

No-Fault Car Insurance

Utah operates under a no-fault system for car accidents, where your own insurance company covers medical expenses and lost income, regardless of fault. However, you may step outside this system for “serious injury” cases.

Important Personal Injury Laws in Arizona

If you’re filing a personal injury claim in Arizona, some laws you need to keep in mind include:

Where to File

Most personal injury lawsuits in Arizona are filed in the state’s main trial court, the Arizona Superior Court. This court is located in each county, with larger counties having multiple courts. For cases involving limited damages, you can file in the Arizona Justice Court or bring a small claims suit if damages don’t exceed $3,500.

How to File

Start by filing a “complaint” with the court clerk, describing the parties involved, the accident details, injuries sustained, and damages sought. Arizona has special rules regarding damage tiers, where you can’t specify the exact amount of damages but must assign them to one of three tiers based on their value.

Time Limits

Arizona’s statute of limitations generally allows two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. However, specific cases, like dog bites or government-related injuries, have different deadlines. The state’s pure comparative negligence law allows partial recovery even if you’re partially at fault but not 100%.

Damage Caps

Arizona does not impose caps on personal injury damages, unlike many other states. This means there’s no limit on the amount of compensation you can receive for pain and suffering, emotional distress, or other damages.

Important Personal Injury Law in Idaho

If you’re filing a personal injury claim in Idaho, some laws you need to keep in mind include:

Fault-Based Insurance System

Idaho operates under a traditional fault-based motor vehicle insurance system. If you’re injured in a car wreck caused by another driver, you can file a claim or lawsuit to recover damages for your injuries and losses.

Liability Insurance Requirements

Idaho law mandates that every motor vehicle owner must carry liability insurance covering bodily injury, death, or property damage. The minimum coverage amounts are $25,000 for bodily injury/death of one person, $50,000 for bodily injury/death of two or more people, and $15,000 for property damage.

Time Limits for Filing Lawsuits

Idaho imposes a statute of limitations, typically allowing two years from the injury date to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, exceptions apply, such as when minors are involved or if the responsible party leaves the state.

Where and How to File Lawsuits

Personal injury lawsuits are filed in the district court of the county where the defendant resides or where the injury occurred. The process involves filing a complaint with the court clerk, detailing the parties involved, the accident, injuries sustained, and damages sought.

Comparative Negligence Rule

Idaho follows a modified comparative negligence rule, allowing partial recovery of damages as long as the injured party is not found to be 50% or more at fault for the accident. Damages are reduced based on the degree of fault assigned.

Damages Limitations

Idaho caps noneconomic damages at $250,000 per claimant, adjusted annually for inflation. Punitive damages are capped at the greater of $250,000 or three times the total compensatory damages. Additionally, there are limits on damages against the government and its employees.