There is a popular misconception that personal injury lawsuits usually involve greedy people fabricating complaints to take advantage of other individuals or successful businesses. The social attitude towards such lawsuits is predominantly negative.
For example, people often reference the hot coffee lawsuit brought against McDonald’s in 1994 as an example of a frivolous personal injury lawsuit. Most people believe that the plaintiff received millions of dollars from the jury, but they don’t know the details of the case. Specifically, they don’t know that the burns were so bad she had to have skin grafts and that the beverage was so hot it put her life in danger.
Those seriously injured by the misconduct or negligence of another party often have the right to file a civil lawsuit and worry about doing so despite their rights. How do you overcome that social stigma to move forward confidently with your claim?
Educate yourself about best practices and statutes
Instead of telling people that the lawsuit is because of property damage or an injury you suffered, you can point out how the lawsuit aims to hold the other party accountable for their bad decisions. Personal injury claims almost always involve either negligence or some kind of misconduct.
Instead of highlighting your injuries, which may make other people skeptical, you can instead discuss how a business had violated safety laws or how a professional deviated from established best practices for their field. If someone knows that a roofer showed up to your house drunk and then caused structural damage to your home with equipment, they may feel differently than they would if you tell them that you sued the company that put a new roof on your house because they damaged your home.
When discussing your losses, focus on the finances
People may think that your complaints are frivolous unless you can give them a concrete understanding of how the other party harmed you.
Recognizing that it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to obtain the surgery and physical therapy you need after a drunk driving crash can help you quantify your losses for others and reduce the negative way that they view your claim.
Additionally, when you learn about what the other party actually did and and how much money their actions will cost you, you better solidify your position for your day in civil court. Overcoming your fear is often a key step if you want to seek justice through a personal injury lawsuit.