What is Negligence?
Negligence is the failure to use a reasonable degree of care given the circumstances. The four elements of negligence are a duty owed to a plaintiff, a breach of that duty by the defendant, proximate cause, and injury or damage suffered by the plaintiff. It is essentially carelessness.
According to Black’s Law Dictionary, negligence is defined as “the failure to exercise the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would have exercised in a similar situation.” As such, negligence refers to a failure to exercise the level of care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in similar circumstances. It forms the basis of many personal injury claims and lawsuits, where a plaintiff alleges that their injuries or damages were caused by the negligent actions or omissions of another party.
Key elements of negligence include:
- Duty of care: The legal obligation of an individual or entity to exercise reasonable care to avoid causing harm to others. This duty may arise from professional relationships, ownership of property, or other circumstances.
- Breach of duty: A failure to fulfill the duty of care by acting or failing to act in a way that deviates from what a reasonably prudent person would do.
- Causation: The link between the defendant’s breach of duty and the plaintiff’s injuries or damages. It must be shown that the defendant’s actions or omissions directly caused harm to the plaintiff.
- Damages: Actual harm or losses suffered by the plaintiff as a result of the defendant’s negligent conduct, which may include physical injuries, emotional distress, property damage, or financial losses.
Legal principles related to negligence aim to compensate injured parties for their losses and encourage individuals and businesses to act responsibly to prevent foreseeable harm. For example, if your landlord doesn’t fix a rickety set of steps you let him to, and you fall through the steps a week later, the landlord is negligent in his duty of care. Understanding the elements of negligence is essential in personal injury cases and other legal disputes where liability is based on the failure to exercise reasonable care under specific circumstance
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Average Settlement for a Pedestrian Hit By a Car
Pedestrians are often far more vulnerable than motorists when navigating busy cities and towns. In a car, a motorist or passenger is surrounded by a steel frame that absorbs the shock of impact during a collision. A pedestrian is not afforded nearly the same degree of protection.
You may deserve compensation if you’ve been harmed in a pedestrian accident you believe resulted from the negligence of another party. Although settlement amounts can be substantial in these cases, as injuries in a pedestrian accident are often serious, the “average” settlement after a pedestrian accident varies widely. Factors like whether a victim has proper representation can play a significant role in the outcome of a case.
Still struggling with the physical and emotional aftermath of being struck by a vehicle, wondering if legal action is your next step? At Munley Law, our pedestrian accident attorneys have guided countless pedestrians through this exact situation, […]
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Where Do Pedestrians Get Hit the Most?
Where do pedestrians get hit the most and who is liable for their injuries or deaths? At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, we represent personal injury victims and their families who have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence.
If you were a pedestrian who was hit in a car accident, contact the compassionate pedestrian accident attorneys at Munley Law for a free case evaluation.
Where Are Pedestrian Accidents Most Likely to Occur?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in six people who died in car accidents in 2020 were pedestrians; this equates to more than 7,000 pedestrians killed in collisions in the year alone.
Of reporting pedestrian accidents, the CDC finds that pedestrians get hit the most in urban areas, on roadways away from intersections where drivers travel at higher speeds, […]
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What Are the 5 Most Common Causes of Wrongful Death?
Learn about the five most common causes of wrongful death, including medical malpractice and accidents, and how to protect your rights.
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What Is a Wrongful Death vs Survival Action?
Losing a loved one is always incredibly painful, but losing someone tragically and unexpectedly due to someone else’s negligence can seem impossible to navigate. If your family member was a key financial supporter of your household, your grief is likely being compounded by extreme financial stress. You may be wondering how you can put your family member or spouse to rest, pay off their medical bills, and keep your household afloat, but you may have legal recourse through wrongful death or survival claims. At Munley Law, our wrongful death attorneys can walk you through your options to seek justice for your deceased family member and obtain financial support.
Understanding Wrongful Death Claims
A wrongful death claim is a type of lawsuit that serves to compensate a deceased person’s family members for the loss they have suffered as a result of their loved one’s death, […]
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Parking Lot Pedestrian Accidents
Being hit by a car as a pedestrian can leave you seriously injured. You might expect this type of accident to happen in a crosswalk or other such setting. However, a parking lot can also be the setting of a harmful pedestrian accident.
Have you been injured as a pedestrian in a parking lot? You may be eligible for compensation if so. Contact Munley Law today for a free consultation.
The Hidden Dangers: Parking Lot Accident Statistics
A parking lot may not seem hazardous for a pedestrian. Unfortunately, parking lot accidents involving pedestrians are more common than you may realize. According to a report from a Bureau of Labor Statistics economist who studied the data, approximately 13% of all parking lot accidents involve pedestrian death. The National Safety Council has also tracked a fairly consistent rate of car accidents involving pedestrians in parking lots. […]
