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Iowa Personal Injury Lawyer

Call (888) 471-5989 to speak with a personal injury attorney.

Personal injury attorneys generally specialize in one or more types of personal injury. If you have been injured in an accident, you should find an attorney who has experience in the specific aspect of the law under which your case would fall. For example, if you suffer from an illness related to asbestos exposure, you will need an attorney who has dealt with these highly complicated cases and has had success.

A personal injury is defined as a physical or psychological injury to a person, as opposed to an injury or damage made to a piece of property. A personal injury lawsuit involves a plaintiff who has been injured due to another person's carelessness or negligence. In order to receive a successful outcome in a personal injury lawsuit, the attorney must prove that the defendant was liable, which generally includes proving negligence. Negligence is legally defined as the failure to exercise the same level of reasonable care which another responsible party would have exercised in a similar situation.

There are many different types of personal injuries, including tripping accidents, assault claims, dog bites, on-the-job accidents, medical and dental accidents, and defective product accidents and illnesses. A personal injury does not have to occur as the result of an accident, however, but can also include industrial disease cases. These include occupational stress, contact dermatitis, mesothelioma and asbestosis, other pulmonary and diseases, and repetitive strain injuries.

A personal injury can take the form of a psychological or physical injury, and must be the result of a person or entity's negligence in order to be actionable. When you drive your car, you have a duty to the other drivers on the road. You assume this duty whenever you are behind the wheel. You are expected to drive responsibly and to obey the rules of the road. If a driver fails to do so and causes injury to another person or property, they have failed to meet the duty assigned to them. It is the same in the medical business. Doctors are liable for medical malpractice when they do not follow the standard medical procedures, resulting in injury or illness to their patient.

Iowa law stipulates that there is a two-year statute of limitations attached to the bringing of personal injury lawsuits. There are exceptions to this, however, especially in cases where the personal injury or illness may not occur, or be discovered, until years after the accident or exposure which caused it has taken place. Two good examples of such situations are the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma, which may take decades after the initial exposure to asbestos before it becomes symptomatic; and medical malpractice cases in which the surgeon or other health care professional leaves a surgical tool, sponge or other foreign object inside the body cavity, where it can then lead to infection and pain.

A personal injury attorney can assist you in proving that negligence resulted in your injury in order to help you recover the losses to which you are entitled. Even if you cannot afford an attorney, you can find a personal injury attorney to take your case on contingency. This means that you pay nothing unless they win your case. The attorney will also cover the costs of your lawsuit, such as court fees, and you pay at the end out of your damages.

Most personal injury lawyers will grant you a free consultation, and will even travel to you for this consultation, if you are hospitalized or otherwise too incapacitated to travel.

It's important to trust and be comfortable with the lawyer you choose, as they play a large part in alleviating the stress related to a personal injury and finances. You can focus on recovering from your injury while they focus on getting you what you are owed.