The Difference between Personal Injury and Bodily Injury

When it comes to civil and criminal law in Phoenix, Arizona (AZ), there are many types of injury that warrant legal action. Two of these types include personal injury and bodily injury. Both involve injured parties and the pursuit of compensation for harm done, but significant differences exist between both claims.

The following will help you discern the differences between these injuries — and which may apply to your specific situation.

What is bodily injury in a legal sense?

Bodily injury is much as it sounds: it involves specific and particular injury caused to the body of someone by another party. Instances of bodily injury often appear in criminal cases where one party causes physical harm to another. Another common instance of bodily injury involves motor vehicle accidents.

Many counties, including Phoenix, AZ, use bodily injury insurance as a means to collect medical payments for an injured party from an at-fault driver in a car accident. Bodily injury can also allow injured parties to claim future expenses and losses that may result as a consequence of their injury.

For instance: if you are in a car accident and suffer job loss as a result of your inability to work, or if you require physical therapy to be able to regain full mobility, you may be able to claim compensation for future lost income and physical therapy expenses.

Bodily injury is more specific than personal injury as it only pertains to bodily harm. As such, it is also more limited than personal injury, and does not apply to as many instances of harm.

What is personal injury in a legal sense?

In Phoenix, AZ, a personal injury claim is a part of civil law. This means that personal injury covers bodily harm or illness indirectly done from one party to another through negligence, defamation of character or other means.

Simply put: individuals have a legal obligation to prevent others from injury at their hands, and failing to meet this standard — even by causing unintentional damages and harm to another — is grounds for a personal injury lawsuit.

Personal injury is less specific than bodily injury as it applies to many types of harm caused from one party to another. These can include auto accidents, but they also include medical malpractice, defective products, animal bites and nursing home abuse — among other scenarios.

What kind of claim applies to me?

If you have been the victim of injury — bodily or otherwise — at the hands of another, it is important to start navigating your legal options immediately.

Unfortunately, civil claims such as personal injury cases do have a statute of limitations, and as such, you do not have an unlimited amount of time to gain compensation for the injury you have suffered. The statute of limitations for personal injury cases in Arizona is two years, which is not a lot of time in a legal sense.

The easiest way to determine what type of injury you have suffered and how to pursue restitution for your losses is to consult an expert. The legal team at The Law Office of Zayed Al-Sayyed PLLC are experts at both personal injury and bodily injury.

Contact us today and we can examine every aspect of your unique situation so that you receive the representation and compensation you deserve.