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Personal Injury FAQ

What's the Difference Between Personal Injury & Wrongful Death Cases?

Personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits have one thing in common: they arise when the negligent, reckless, or intentional actions of another cause one to suffer harm. Whatever the particular instances of the claim, both cases involve negligence. Other than that common factor, these claims are extremely different, and their differences must be understood before a person attempts to file either of them.

A personal injury claim is filed by the party who has suffered the injury caused by the at-fault party. In a personal injury claim, the victim may be able to recover compensation for damages, including:

  • Medical expenses
  • Lost past and future wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Punitive damages

The person making the claim must be able to prove negligent actions on behalf of the person alleged of causing the injury. The amount of compensation depends on how significant the injury was.

A wrongful death claim, on the other hand, is filed by the survivors of the victim and is being filed against the person who is believed to be responsible for the death, and seeks compensation for the following:

  • Medical expenses
  • Funeral benefits
  • Loss of future earnings
  • Financial support (including educational assistance)
  • Loss of care, comfort, and companionship

Wrongful death claims use preponderance of evidence instead of "innocent until proven guilty."

Case Results

Check Out Our Victories

  • $8 Billion Top 3 Largest Jury Verdict in U.S. History Arnold & Itkin tried a case against Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn about a drug’s most damaging side effects: gynecomastia. Our skill, hard work, and dedication resulted in the third-largest jury verdict ever obtained for an individual ...
  • $860 Million History-Making Verdict After Fatal Crane Accident Arnold & Itkin took up the case of a woman who lost her daughter after a crane collapsed on her daughter’s apartment building. After nearly four years of delays, the defendant was forced to take responsibility.
  • $557 Million Massive Verdict Won Against Union Pacific Arnold & Itkin won a half-a-billion-dollar verdict against one of the nation’s largest rail companies after train operators mercilessly struck our client despite knowing she was on the tracks.
  • $357 Million Largest Workplace Accident Settlement in Texas History Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a massive nine-figure settlement against a transnational corporation for a workplace incident. The settlement set a Texas record for being the largest personal injury settlement in the state’s history.
  • $222 Million Record-Breaking Verdict for Widow Our firm won $222 million for a woman who lost her husband in an industrial accident caused by a faulty valve. We took the case to trial because the at-fault company refused to take responsibility. The jury saw through the corporate lies and double ...
  • $205 Million Confidential Settlement Obtained for Numerous Clients Arnold & Itkin reached a record $205,000,000 settlement on behalf of clients after several years of hard-fought litigation. The case settled just before trial was set to begin.
  • $193 Million Settlement Won for Victims of Pipeline Explosion Offshore injury lawyers at Arnold & Itkin fought for two workers who were injured in a pipeline explosion at sea, one of whom passed away. Our relentless investigation and advocacy resulted in a nine-figure settlement that will provide for our ...
  • $171 Million One of the Largest Confidential Settlements in History Arnold & Itkin worked over the course of several years to represent clients in a case that many other law firms turned down. In the end, we were able to obtain a record-setting confidential settlement.
  • $139 Million Massive Settlement Achieved for Victims of an Oilfield Incident Arnold & Itkin LLP negotiated a huge $139,000,000 settlement for injured families affected by an oilfield incident in the eastern United States, settling one week before trial.
  • $125 Million Settlement Won for Widow of Dredge Worker Offshore lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP won a nine-figure settlement for a woman who lost her husband in a pipeline explosion. By pushing the case toward trial, our firm pressured the defendant into settling with our client, allowing her to rebuild ...
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“They took my case and they took care of me in every way I needed. They stayed with me and that's a big thing for me. They treated me like family, so they're like family to me.”
Nicholas Workplace Explosion Victim

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