The terms “personal injury” and “bodily injury” are utilized at very different times within the legal system. A personal injury describes a type of civil claim while a bodily injury describes the physical harm a person receives from an accident or assault. To prevent your personal injury claim from going awry, hire an attorney from an exceptional personal injury law firm like Davana Law to manage its nuances.

Our team of litigation specialists have helped hundreds of clients in the Los Angeles area to win personal injury compensation. They specialize in numerous types of personal injury cases, including wrongful death, automobile accident, premises liability, and more. Our attorneys charge nothing until you’ve received the full amount of damages you deserve.

Below, we further distinguish between personal and bodily injuries:

The Essential Differences Between “Personal Injury” & “Bodily Injury”

Their Use As Legal Terms

One of the main differences between personal injury and bodily injury is how legally they are used. “Personal injury” refers to a specific type of civil case in which the plaintiff claims the defendant caused their injury due to negligence.

On the other hand, “bodily injury” describes a scenario wherein a victim has received physical injuries. The term is utilized in contexts outside of personal injury, which marks another important difference between it and “personal injury.”

The Contexts They Are Used

“Personal injury”, as a term, is almost always utilized in the context of legal cases involving some party receiving physical or property damage due to another’s negligence. This includes cases involving motor vehicle accidents, defective products, premise liability, medical malpractice, and other cases.

On the other hand, the term “bodily injury” is mainly used in the context of a party making a motor vehicle insurance claim.

All drivers in California are required to have bodily injury liability insurance in case an accident occurs in which other parties sustain injuries, as they will then be compensated instead of the insured paying for damages out of pocket.

Bodily injury is also a term sometimes used in criminal cases such as aggravated assault, as it is used to describe the harm one party has sustained on another.

Types of Compensation

Cases involving bodily injury or personal injury are largely similar in how compensation is received–with evidence being provided to show that the other party was at fault and acted negligently to cause harm upon the party that sustained injuries.

They are also similar in how both can result in the injured party receiving economic damages (i.e. compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses resulting from the injuries sustained).

However, personal injury cases also include non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. Non-economic damages compensate the effects of an injury outside of those that affect the injured party’s finances and income.

Also, in personal injury cases, compensation can be received either from an insurance company or directly from the negligent party. On the other hand, most cases involving bodily injury receive compensation from the insurance company only.

Davana Law Firm: Top-Rated Personal Injury Law Firm in Los Angeles

Numerous legal terms may seem as interchangeable as “personal injury” and “bodily injury” but are used in very different contexts altogether. Hopefully, the above article can inform some differences between the two. At Davana Law Firm, we seek to inform our clients about every element of the legal process, ensuring that they are aware of every step they take. We are a dedicated personal injury law firm that employs a team of experienced attorneys with high rates of success in getting compensation for their clients. Contact our team at (818) 501-1055 for more information and learn how to start your personal injury case correctly.