An injury to the mind, body, or emotions is referred to in law as a personal injury. The word is
most frequently used in common law authority to describe a particular category of tort case in
which the party bringing the suit has experienced damage to his or her mind or body. Personal
injury lawsuits are brought against the person that engaged in negligence, egregious
negligence, reckless behavior, intentional misconduct, or in some circumstances, strict liability,
and caused the harm. Although damages are defined differently in different jurisdictions, they
often include the injured party’s medical expenses, pain and suffering, or a reduced quality of
life.