Water contamination is a serious issue that can lead to many health problems for you and your family. Many people suffer illness or even death as a result of contaminated water. If you or a loved one has suffered illness due to dirty water, you can get compensated by filing a personal injury claim.
According to the World Counts, 34,96507 deaths have been recorded globally in 2022 due to the consumption of dirty water. It means that one person dies every 10 seconds due to waterborne disease.
What is Personal Injury?
Personal injury is the harm done to a person’s body and mind. Accidents, medical malpractice, intentional acts, or negligence cause it. Personal injuries have also occurred due to consuming contaminated water from your municipal water supply system and developing health problems such as cancer or kidney disease later on in life.
If you, too, have faced personal injury due to the consumption of contaminated water, you can claim compensation for your loss. A personal injury lawyer can help you with such a case.
According to IBIS World, the market size of the Personal Injury Lawyers industry in the US has grown at a rate of 3.4% annually between 2017 and 2022. The revenue generated by the market was $53.1Bn in 2022.
You can take the help of a personal injury lawyer for your case, but you need to keep the following points in mind before hiring one.
Has Expertise in Dealing with Similar Cases
A personal injury lawyer with experience in similar cases can help you find the best way to deal with your case and get compensation for your loss. For example, if a body of water has been contaminated, a personal injury lawyer can advise you on how to proceed with your claim. They are also experienced enough to know whether it’s worth filing.
A well-known case of personal injuries happened in Camp Lejeune due to the consumption of contaminated water. This case took place between 1953 to 1987 in Camp Lejeune, where several cancer cases were reported in the residents staying nearby who were drinking the contaminated water regularly.
If you were one of them or someone in your acquaintance, they are eligible to claim compensation. They need to file a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit and work as instructed by the personal injury lawyer dealing with your case.
Can Gather Expert Evidence
Expert evidence is important in cases like these. It can be gathered from a range of sources, including:
- Expert witnesses: They are the professionals who attorneys hire to provide testimony on specific fields, such as environmental law or toxicology.
- Physical evidence: This can include pictures of the area where contamination occurred, samples taken from it, and testing results related to water quality in that area before and after contamination.
- Medical Record: Document any health issues you have experienced since exposure to contaminated water. These issues may include rashes or skin irritations, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, organ damage, etc. It can also be cancerous tumors forming near your lungs, brain, or elsewhere.
Can Negotiate with the Defendants
To get compensation for the damages done by this contamination issue, you must hire a personal injury lawyer who will negotiate with all of the defendants involved in your case.
Negotiating with the defendant or defendants can be difficult, but if done properly, it will result in a better outcome for your case. Here are some examples of parties that may be responsible:
- Negotiate with the insurance companies
- Negotiate with the government
- Negotiate with the municipality or the city council
Can Help You Calculate Your Losses Due to Water Contamination
According to Our World in Data, 6% of people did not have clean water until 2020. Things would have become better by now, but you may be facing a long road of medical treatment for the damage caused by water contamination. The money you need to pay for these treatments can add up quickly, especially if you have high deductibles or limited health insurance coverage.
Insurance companies often try to minimize the amount they must pay in personal injury cases. You must work with an experienced personal injury lawyer who will fight hard on your behalf and ensure you get all the compensation that is due to you.
Can Help with Appeals
Appeals in personal injury cases are a part of the process. They can occur at any time and may be made to a higher or the same court. They can also be made by either you or your attorney, depending on the stage of your case and the need for appeal.
If your case is still going through arbitration or mediation, appeals would be made as part of those processes.
Appeals can also happen when parties want their cases heard by higher courts. For example, if they feel that lower courts have misinterpreted laws related to their specific, then an appeal might be warranted here too.
Can Help Collect Witnesses
Finding witnesses is an important part of your injury case. Without them, you won’t have a strong case. You must find as many witnesses as possible to help prove that the water had health issues. Witnesses can be anyone who saw something or heard about it from someone else, even if it was a rumor.
If you know someone who has firsthand knowledge about what happened, ask them if they would be willing to testify on your behalf in court. If they are okay with this and seem trustworthy, ask them for details about what happened.
You must get medical records related to their illness. It will give attorneys more evidence when arguing their case during trial.
Conclusion
If you or someone you know has suffered illness from contaminated water, a personal injury lawyer can help get compensation. A personal injury lawyer is an expert in dealing with cases like this. They will help you collect witnesses and evidence to prove your case in court. Then, they will work with you to calculate your losses and negotiate with the defendant for fair compensation.
A good personal injury lawyer will assess whether your case is worth pursuing and how much compensation is fair based on the circumstances. A personal injury attorney can also help appeal if things don’t go as planned with your case.
