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Almost everyone has heard the term "personal injury" or "personal injury lawsuit" before, but what do the terms actually mean? While these terms may sometimes conjure up images of a gory car accident or other catastrophe, the truth is that that the realm of personal injury is far broader than that.

Understanding the various types of personal injuries and situations where they arise is important for Tennessee citizens. It allows them to understand how to seek just compensation in the event that they suffer a personal injury which is the fault of someone else.

What is a tort?

A tort is essentially any act in which one person's or entity's behavior resulted in harm or other liability to another party. A driver running a red light and causing an accident creates a tort situation. A grocery store that leaves a slippery mess on the floor which causes a customer to slip and fall has created a tort situation.

According to the Trial Lawyers Association of America, the most common damages awards at the federal level are for tort damages resulting from automobile crashes, product liability and medical malpractice: they represent 20 percent, 13 percent and 10 percent respectively of all awards.

The TLAA estimates that an average of 512,000 claims for damages is filed annually. Of those, approximately two percent proceed to trial with results as follows:-48 percent are won by the plaintiff-84 percent result in the plaintiff receiving monetary awards-54 percent are won in non-jury trials-46 percent are won in jury trials

It appears clear that a large number of personal injury lawsuits are either settled before trial or closed for some other reason.

Common types of personal injury claims

Personal injuries can be grouped into different classifications with the most common being negligence (auto accidents, slip and fall accidents, swimming pool accidents, etc.), assault/battery, product liability, wrongful death and medical malpractice. Certainly some of these can be intertwined. For example, a wrongful death can result from any of the other type of claims.

A look at Tennessee's numbers

According to state court records, there were a total of 10,302 damage claims filed in Tennessee during the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Of those, 530 went all the way to trial with roughly half of them being heard by a jury, and the others have being tried without a jury.

Options if you are injured

If you are injured as a result of another person's or entity's fault, you should consult an experienced personal injury attorney. Be sure to consult with an attorney who has a background in handling your particular type of personal injury claim.