If you or a loved one has recently been in an accident, then you might be wondering whether it is worth pursuing a lawsuit to receive compensation for these injuries. As you are evaluating your legal options, one of the most important things that you need to understand is the difference between bodily injury vs personal injury.
While there are similarities between these two things, a few distinct differences will play a key role in building your legal case. In this article, we are breaking down the difference between bodily injury and personal injury to help you understand what type of injury you are dealing with.
What Is Bodily Injury and How It’s Defined in Legal and Insurance Terms
The term bodily injury general refers to the physical harm that a person has experienced. Examples of bodily injury include broken bones, cuts, soft tissue injuries, or internal damage. Medical care is essential for diagnosis and treatment. Bodily injury can be minor, or more severe injuries can impact a person’s life drastically.
When bodily injury is related to an accident, such as a car crash or workplace accident, it’s important for the medical teams to document bodily injury through medical reports and more. This documentation records what the victim experienced, then this information can be used for bodily injury insurance and other types of personal injury claims.
What Does Personal Injury Include Beyond Just Physical Harm?
While personal injury includes physical harm (such as bodily injury), the category of personal injury covers so much more. In personal injury claims, it’s important to show the way the physical injuries are impacting the victim overall, including the emotional, psychological, and even reputational damage.
Personal injury has a bigger legal implication, especially when the lawsuit shows that someone was at fault for the bodily injuries that occurred. It’s necessary to prove liability in order to receive compensation for the injuries. This compensation helps to cover the medical bills, as well as other related costs such as lost wages and pain and suffering.
In most cases, if you have a personal injury claim then it is related to the negligence of another party. For example, a driver caused a car accident that resulted in your injury, or an employer failed to maintain safety standards, which caused you to fall on the job site.
Key Differences Between Bodily Injury vs Personal Injury
The easiest way to think about the difference between bodily injury and personal injury is to understand that bodily injury encompasses the physical injuries that have occurred. On the other hand, personal injury takes it beyond the physical impact to also include emotional damages.
Personal injury is much more than just hospital bills, doctor’s appointments, and medical treatments. There are many other forms of compensation that can be included in a personal injury case.
Why This Difference Matters When Filing a Claim or Lawsuit
The difference between bodily injury vs. personal injury is quite important when you are filing a lawsuit or insurance claim. Remember that the insurance adjusters are working hard to minimize the amount of money that will need to be paid. So, you need to be careful with the documentation and wording of your claim in order to ensure that you receive fair compensation
If you file the wrong type of claim, then it could cause your claim to be denied, or you might receive reduced compensation. So, you need to look at what your insurance covers, consider the overall circumstances of the accident, and then talk to a personal injury attorney to determine whether you have a strong enough case to pursue.
When it comes to personal injury, a lot more documentation is required beyond basic medical records. Some of the most common types of evidence that can be included in the case could be therapy notes, emotional distress logs, documentation of lost wages, and more.
How to Protect Yourself if You’ve Suffered Either Type of Injury
The things that you do after an injury will make a big difference in the overall outcome of your case. If you have been injured, then it’s critical that you are proactive about documentation. The best thing that you can do is reach out to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible, because they will be able to assist with this process.
Any documentation that you can collect along the way can help with building a strong case: medical reports, photos of the accident scene, expenses relating to your medical bills, and more. You want to bring as much evidence as possible to make sure that your claim includes all possible forms of compensation.
Also, keep in mind that there are different types of insurance coverage. Certain insurance policies only cover bodily injury, which makes it hard to get additional compensation.
FAQs
What is the difference between bodily injury and personal injury?
While bodily injury only refers to the physical harm, personal injury covers much more beyond the physical injuries – emotional and psychological damage, caused by another person’s negligence.
Can bodily injury be part of a personal injury lawsuit?
Yes, bodily injury is usually one component of a personal injury claim, especially if the claim is related to an accident. The personal injury lawsuit will also cover other non-physical damages to maximize compensation.
Is bodily injury covered by auto insurance?
Most of the time auto insurance policies will include bodily injury coverage up to a certain dollar amount. This money is designed to pay for medical expenses if you were the one at fault for other people’s injuries. Or the other driver’s insurance might cover your bodily injuries and medical bills.
Call the Personal Injury Experts
If you need help with personal injury claims, then our legal team is here to assist. We have years of experience working with accident victims, ensuring that people receive the compensation they deserve.
When you are ready to learn more about available legal services, reach out to us at Green Law Firm. Contact us to schedule your no-obligation consultation to see how we can assist with your case: (956) 542-7000.
