What are "personal injury" claims?

Personal injury claims encompass a range of legal actions that arise from non-physical harm inflicted upon an individual. This can include a variety of scenarios, one of the most significant being defamation, which involves damaging someone's reputation through false statements. These claims can also cover other types of non-physical injuries such as emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The distinction between personal injury claims and other types of claims is crucial in the insurance context, as personal injury is specifically concerned with the psychological or reputational damage that does not necessarily result from a physical accident, but still causes significant harm to the individual. This understanding is essential for anyone working in or studying insurance, as it directly impacts liability coverage and legal proceedings.

Physical injuries, theft of personal property, and emotional trauma in workplace incidents might also result in claims, but they fall under different categories of law such as tort law, property law, or workers’ compensation, rather than the specific realm of personal injury claims that focuses on the non-physical damage to one’s personal rights or reputation.