In the United States, personal injury laws differ from state to state. In the state of Georgia, different kinds of personal injury have varying statutes of limitations. Personal injury is classified into several categories.

Every year in the United States, thousands of people are injured or killed in motor accidents. In Georgia alone, over 1500 people die in auto accidents every year. There are many factors that can lead to an auto accident. Speeding, driver fatigue, weather conditions, driver distraction and intoxication caused by drugs or alcohol, are some of the common causes. A person injured by the carelessness of another has a right to compensation for all the pain and suffering he has undergone. He has the right to claim reimbursement for medical bills and lost wages due to the accident.

Defective products cause injury or deaths. Adulterated food, groceries and over-the-counter prescriptions can be hazardous to health. A manufacturer is liable to be held accountable when using such a product injures a consumer.

Over 100,000 people lose their lives in the United States every year due to medical errors in hospitals. Medical professionals are required to abide by certain standards called "standards of care."

A delay or failure to diagnose a disease, a physicians' failure to gain the informed consent of the patient for an operation or surgical procedure, or a misuse of prescription drugs constitutes what is known as medical negligence. The doctor or hospital is liable to pay compensation to a victim in these cases.

About 1.5 million elderly and disabled people live in almost 17,000 nursing homes in the United States. There are several types of nursing home abuse including physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse and general neglect. State laws in Georgia hold nursing homes accountable for abuse. A person who has suffered the consequences of such negligence can claim damages from the offending party.

Other categories of personal injury include animal bites, birth injuries during childbirth and injuries from firearms. No one understands the problems faced by a victim better than an attorney. Enlisting the services of an attorney lessens the burden on the victim of a personal injury. In all matters involving personal injury, it is essential that the measures taken preserve evidence and the attorney files a lawsuit prior to the deadline imposed by the statute of limitations.