What’s The Difference Between Bodily Injury & Personal Injury?
The world of insurance can be complicated, especially when you consider that many of the claims that you can file are similar. A prime example of this is bodily injury vs personal injury. These two claims are very similar and address injuries after an accident. However, the specific differences between the two make a big difference in how your insurance handles claims.
If you are in an accident and there are injuries, the type of coverage that you have is important. You want to make sure that you have the right coverage, or else you may have expensive bills to pay with no help from your insurance provider. You’ll need the help of Real Deal Attorneys, Inc. and personal injury attorney since we specialize in both types of claims. Let’s get into the differences between bodily injury and personal injury.
Injury Claims
Bodily injury and personal injury claims deal with the same thing: injuries after an accident. You can have insurance coverage for either one or both in some cases. It largely depends on where you are, but most states require coverage for both.
However, these types of coverage are separate and apply in different situations. It is important to note that while you have both coverages, you are not likely to use both at the same time. The way that they are applied means that bodily injury is used in a smaller number of accidents, while personal injury is used in the majority of accidents.
What is Bodily Injury?
While you may have heard of personal injury, you may not have heard of bodily injury. Bodily injury claims provide coverage for the other parties involved in your accident.
For example, you’re in a car crash with one other vehicle. You are not hurt, but the driver of the other vehicle is injured. If you are at fault, then your bodily injury coverage provides funds for the other driver to cover their medical expenses. In short, it covers the other people in your accident if you are at fault and not injured.
It is important to note that bodily injury coverage only applies if you are not injured. It is similar to personal injury coverage in that it helps with medical bills, but only for other people. If you are injured in that accident, then your bodily injury coverage may not activate. It can activate, in some cases, based on how your coverage policy is designed so that it can supplement the personal injury coverage, but this varies based on the situation.
What is Personal Injury?
Personal injury is a broader type of coverage than bodily injury. It covers everyone that is injured in an accident, including yourself. Common types of personal injury claims include dog bites, wrongful death claims, and medical malpractice claims. Because of this, it is the more commonly used coverage and the one that more people know about. Personal injury coverage is required practically everywhere, and there are minimum amounts of coverage that are required.
Bodily Injury Can Be a Part of Personal Injury Cases
There are cases where both types of claims are involved. This generally works by having your personal injury coverage work for yourself and your passengers and the bodily injury coverage work for the other party. The key to this is where you are at the time of the accident. Different states have different guidelines for how personal injury and bodily injury claims work.
In no-fault states (meaning no one is at fault for an accident), personal injury coverage works for you, and bodily injury does not apply. This is because everyone is responsible for their own coverage in no-fault states.
In an at-fault state (meaning someone is held liable for the accident), personal injury works for your party, and bodily injury can apply to the other party.
Personal Injury and Bodily Injury In Other Situations
Car accidents are a relatively easy way to look at how injury claims work, but it is important to note that both claims exist in other situations. Any type of accident, including bike accidents, truck accidents, or train accidents, can trigger these claims. It all has to do with negligence and who is at fault. If someone is at fault, then they are liable for the damages, and an appropriate claim can be filed.
Let’s look at a different type of example. If you are walking down the street, trip over a skateboard, and break your knee, then the owner of the skateboard may be liable for the damages. In this case, your lawyer can file a personal injury claim against them to collect compensation for things like medical bills.
What happens if you are the one that drops the skateboard? Then, a lawyer may file a personal injury claim against you, but your bodily injury insurance may cover the damages. Since someone else was hurt and it was your fault, bodily injury insurance can help.
Another way of looking at bodily injury is that it is very specific. For example, someone attacks you and breaks your leg. Your lawyer (and probably the DA) will file bodily injury claims for your leg. Yes, a personal injury charge can be filed as well for overall injuries, but the bodily injury charge will be specifically for that injury.
This appears in criminal cases relatively often when charges need to be filed for very specific injuries. It helps attorneys show damages and intent by narrowing the focus as much as possible onto a specific thing.
Learn More About Injury Claims From Real Deal Attorneys, Inc.
When you are injured, the important thing is that you get the help you need to recover. Unfortunately, that may require the assistance of a personal injury or bodily injury attorney. That way, you may be able to get the financial help that you need to cover your medical expenses.
At Real Deal Attorneys, Inc., we help clients deal with injury cases for car accidents and many other situations. With a legal team on your side, you may be able to collect compensation for your medical and other expenses. Contact Real Deal Attorneys, Inc. at (424) 367-1271 or through our online form so we can help you with your case.