The Personal Injury Lawyer Short List™ is an index of suggested legal web sites focused on helping individuals and businesses find  personal injury lawyers, personal injury law information and personal injury law related resources on the Internet.

The Personal Injury Lawyer Short List™ presents you with basic information about personal injury law in the format of a short list.  Advertisements and web site links point you in right direction for  personal injury lawyers and further personal injury law research.

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Personal Injury Law Short List Index

What Is A Tort?
A tort is a civil wrong or wrongful act that causes injury or damage for which a plaintiff can file a civil action.  Tort cases filed in civil court are also referred to as personal injury lawsuits.  Tort cases typically do not involve the breach of a contract.   

Tort cases typically involve serious injuries or death caused by someone's negligence or error, a design flaw or a manufacturing defect. 

The most common type of tort case involves automobile accidents.  Click here to learn about the other types of personal injury cases. 

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What Is A Tort?.

What Is A Tort? continued

The annual number of tort cases handled by U.S. district courts since 1985 has averaged about 44,770 per year.  In 2003, there were 49,166 tort cases completed in district courts.  During 2002-2003 settlements and other non-trial dispositions accounted for 98 percent of the 98,786 tort cases.  Only a total of 1,647 tort cases (about 2 percent) were concluded by a bench or a jury trial.

In 2001 state courts in the nation's 75 largest counties heard 7,948 tort cases or about 3% of all tort cases filed in those counties.  The 7,948 tort cases included the following types of personal injury cases:

      4,235 Automobile Accident Cases
     1,268 Premise Liability Cases
     158 Product Liability Injury Cases / Defective Products
     375 Intentional Tort Cases
     1,156 Medical Malpractice Cases
     102 Professional Malpractice Cases
     95 Slander / Libel Cases
     99 Animal Attack Cases
     45 False Arrest / Imprisonment Cases
     417 Other or Unknown Tort Cases

Personal injury cases are usually complex and expensive. Injured parties should always consult a qualified, licensed lawyer. Click here to find a personal injury lawyer.

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