An injury attorney (also called a personal injury attorney) specializes in legal disputes involving negligence and damages. Negligence can be a very broadly defined concept, but in general negligence occurs whenever a person or company fails to perform in a safe manner and causes an injury or damage. Negligence can be direct, in the case of a reckless driver, or indirect, as in a store manager not ordering an employee to clean a spill. An injury attorney gathers the facts surrounding the injury from the client and determines every party who may be at fault for the negligence.

Jeff is a regular customer of a local restaurant. One day, as Jeff walks into the restaurant; he tripped over a loose corner of a rug and shattered his pelvis. The restaurant manager called an ambulance and Jeff was admitted to the hospital for treatment. He would spend another three days in traction at the hospital and three weeks in recovery at home. Because Jeff feels the restaurant was at fault for the accident, he may contact a local personal injury attorney to find out his legal options.

Jeff's injury attorney will investigate the accident site and discuss the situation with potential witnesses, including any video footage available. He may discuss how to pursue a potential settlement with the restaurant owner's liability insurance company which would attempt to satisfy Jeff's medical needs, lost wages, pain and suffering, pecunary loss, etc.. An injury attorney may also file an official lawsuit with the court, naming the restaurant owner, the carpet manufacturer or the employee who failed to report the loose carpet as defendants.

If Jeff decides not to accept the out-of-court settlement offer, then the injury attorney will prepare for a court date. After demonstrating how the restaurant manager knew about the dangerous floor or how a poor adhesive caused the carpet to loosen, the injury attorney may convince a jury to award damages above and beyond Jeff's actual medical and wage bills.