A personal injury accident is any accident that was caused by someone’s negligence. For instance, a negligent driver could be responsible for a car accident. A negligent employer could be responsible for a workplace accident. Had either party been more cautious, the injury might have been prevented. A central Florida personal injury attorney can explain more about the criteria for this type of accident.

In order to qualify for a personal injury lawsuit, you must be able to prove a few things at the outset, before you can begin to seek an amount of damages. The basic criteria for a personal injury lawsuit are the following:

• The defendant had a duty to act in a certain manner
• The defendant failed to uphold that duty
• The failure of duty caused the plaintiff to be injured
• The injuries caused financial damages to the plaintiff

If you are able to prove these points in a court of law, then you have the basis of a personal injury lawsuit. This could range from circumstances such as a car accident where the other driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, a slip and fall at a public mall, or medical malpractice such as an incorrect diagnosis or surgical error.