What Are the Elements of Personal Injury?
Personal injury claims typically include damages, causation (duty of care), and the statute of limitations. These elements are essential to a successful case. Learn about each one in detail. Next, learn about the personal injury statutes of limitations in your particular state. Each element of your claim must be proved in court. Most cases allow you to recover damages or a portion of your losses.
Damages

The three types of personal injury damages are based on the same theme: pain and suffering and physical injuries. Although insurance companies often overlook this benchmark, plaintiffs may be able claim for pain and suffering. Non-pecuniary damages can include psychological trauma and other costs. A person’s health can also be affected by non-pecuniary common damages.
Causation
The legal element of negligence is called causation in personal injury cases. This requires proving that the defendant’s negligence caused the plaintiff’s injury. There are two different types of causation: direct causation, which is where the defendant directly caused the plaintiff’s injury, and indirect causation, which is when the defendant was merely negligent. In both cases, the plaintiff must prove the defendant’s negligence caused their injury.
Care duty
A duty of care is a legal concept that describes an individual’s responsibility for preventing injury to others. Failure to fulfill this duty could lead to legal liability. While this principle applies to nearly everyone, some situations involve a higher standard of care than others. Common carriers, for instance, are obligated by law to protect their passengers from injuries, even if they weren’t negligent. For example, a bus company is obligated to keep its driver and passengers safe. If a bus driver is distracted by a cell phone conversation, the bus company could be liable for an accident.
Limitations statute
A personal injury lawsuit can be filed if someone else is legally at fault for your injuries. The personal injury statute of limitations runs for two years from the date of the accident, or the discovery of the injury. However, they can run earlier. You can file a lawsuit if your dog was injured while you were playing with it. Children are often exempted from this rule, which gives them a much longer time frame to file a lawsuit. You must be aware of the deadline to ensure you don’t miss out on valuable compensation.
Reckless behavior
Recklessness is a factor in personal injury. In order to bring a personal injury case, the defendant must have known of or should have known that their actions might cause injury. The definition of recklessness is a little bit nuanced but broadly speaking, reckless behavior refers to any behavior that puts others at risk. Reckless behavior is different from negligence or intentional harm. Intentional injury refers to the intention of someone to cause harm, or to do something that could prevent harm.