Personal injury is a legal term for an injury to the body, mind or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property.
In American jurisdictions the term is most commonly used to refer to a type of tort lawsuit in which the person bringing the suit, or “plaintiff,” has suffered harm to his or her body or mind. Personal injury lawsuits are filed against the person or entity that caused the harm through negligence, gross negligence, reckless conduct, or intentional misconduct, and in some cases on the basis of strict liability. Different jurisdictions describe the damages (or, the things for which the injured person may be compensated) in different ways, but damages typically include the injured person’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life.