Getting involved in any legal battle can be a frustrating process. When someone sues you for a personal injury, you may not know what options you have. Whatever the circumstances of your case, you need to understand that injury lawyers deal with similar cases every other day and they can really help to alleviate some of your fears. If you feel like you don’t understand what’s going on, talk to your personal injury lawyer about it.
One of the main questions many people ask when sued or when they are about to sue someone else is whether there’s a possibility for facing jail-time if someone is found guilty. You may also want to find out the kind of penalties someone can get if you sue him or her for personal injury. While legal matters are extremely complex, there are certain general guidelines that you need to understand as you prepare to start off the process of filing a lawsuit. To better understand this, let’s review the legal concepts that apply to civil cases and compare them with criminal cases.
Personal Injury Cases And Civil Law
All personal injury cases fall under civil law. This is a very broad category of law but generally cases in this area do not involve any jail-time even if you lose. When someone is sued for a personal injury, it means that the court is going to determine if the actions of that person ended up harming another. If you have been hurt or you sustained injuries due to someone’s negligent actions, the law allows you to recover damages for the injuries by filing a lawsuit and hiring a personal injury lawyer Toronto. If the case is successful and the person is found to be guilty, they will be required to pay you money. In the same way, if you are found to have contributed to someone’s injury, you will be required to pay him or her money because of the injuries you caused.
Civil law covers cases that occur when one person sues another person or a business. For instance, if someone sues for wrongful eviction, foreclosure, divorce, custody, personal harm or damage to property, these kinds of cases will go to civil court. This is because civil court judges have the power to order for a fine or make decisions that will impact your family or business. On the other hand, criminal court judges can sentence you to jail for breaking the law. That is why you need to hire a qualified legal representative if it is suspected that you were involved in a crime.
What Happens In Civil Court?
Civil cases involve one person suing another due to a dispute or problem between them. It can be an individual, business or agency filing a case in civil court. The lost side is usually ordered to pay money to the other side in order to compensate for the losses incurred as a result of their injury or damage. In some civil cases, someone is ordered to return property. Civil court cases do not result in jail for the person losing the case. While criminal cases involve actions deemed harmful to the society in general, civil cases involve particular disputes between individuals and organizations.
Cases Handled In Civil Court
- Personal injury cases such as car accident, medical malpractice and slip and fall cases
- Housing e.g. foreclosure, eviction or to fix poor living conditions
- Money and debt
- Property
- Family cases such as divorce, custody, child support and alimony matters
To win a civil case, you will need to prove to the judge or jury that your case is stronger than the other side’s case. Most civil cases can be settled outside of court. This happens when both parties agree on a favorable settlement and would like to avoid the time and money that court proceedings usually attract. Why? Personal injuries are not criminal cases to jail for breaking the law. However, if the prosecutor decides to file a criminal case, your case could be taken to the criminal court where it is handled differently.
How do you know if your case involves criminal issues?
If you’ve been hurt and strongly believe that you have been a victim of a crime or you are having fears that your case may have a criminal component, it’s always important to discuss it with a lawyer. Lawyers will always consider the most important aspects of a case before advising a client on whether there’s a potential of facing jail-time. It’s true that some cases can involve both a civil and criminal situation. By working with a qualified lawyer, it’s easy to be prepared beforehand and ensure your case is presented in a manner that favors you.
If you have been involved in an accident or injury, or someone else is suing you for causing harm, don’t take too long to contact a lawyer. A criminal lawyer Toronto will answer all your questions and provide you with the guidance and advice needed to address your specific legal issues. Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed by the entire situation but pushing it aside doesn’t make it go away. In fact, taking too long to report such cases and seek legal advice can cause more harm than good along the way. The court usually looks at such factors when determining who is at fault.
Legal issues can turn out to be extremely complex, spanning months or even years at a time and unless you have a qualified lawyer by your side, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed for nothing. If you have sustained injuries as a result of someone’s negligence or you are sued for injuring someone, contact your personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
