What is the Difference between Bodily Injury and Personal Injury?

If you’ve recently been in an accident and are trying to navigate the legal process, you may wonder what differentiates bodily injury and personal injury. Some use the terms interchangeably. However, there are some important distinctions to understand.

What should you know about personal and bodily injury and what is the difference between the two?

Bodily Injury

Bodily injury refers to physical harm inflicted on a person as a result of an accident or intentional act. This can include anything from a broken bone to a traumatic brain injury. When someone is pursuing legal action for bodily injury, they are seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages directly related to their physical injuries.

Personal Injury

Personal injury, on the other hand, is a broader category. It encompasses both physical and non-physical harm caused by someone else’s negligent or intentional behavior.

This can include bodily injury, but it also covers:

Emotional distress
Property damage
Other non-physical losses

When someone brings a personal injury case, they are seeking compensation for all the various ways in which their life has been negatively impacted by the other person’s actions. Bodily injury is frequently one part of a larger personal injury case.

For example, if injuries from a car accident are caused by another driver’s negligence, their bodily injuries would be just one aspect of the overall personal injury case. The injured person could also seek compensation for property damage, lost wages, and emotional distress resulting from the accident.

It’s also worth noting that personal injury cases are often handled by attorneys who specialize in this area of law. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you navigate the complexities of your case. They also help you deal with insurance companies and improves your changes of receiving full compensation.

If you’ve been injured and are considering pursuing legal action, it’s important to find a lawyer who has a proven track record of success in personal injury cases.

Understanding the difference between bodily injury and personal injury is crucial if you’ve been injured and are seeking legal recourse. While bodily injury refers specifically to the physical harm you’ve suffered, personal injury encompasses a wider range of losses resulting from someone else’s negligence or wrongful actions.

Contact an Attorney

It doesn’t matter whether you’re pursuing a bodily injury claim or a personal injury case. You must have an experienced lawyer on your side to maximize your chances of success. An attorney helps to ensure that you receive fair compensation for your losses.

For more information or to schedule a consultation to discuss your options if you’ve been injured, contact Shugarman & Mehring at 410.783.4200 or toll-free at 888.342.7200.