personal injury is a legal term which means any injury—physical, mental or emotional—to a person which was caused by someone’s negligence. Legal disputes involving personal injuries arise when one party is injured in an accident, and someone else—an individual, corporation, or other entity—is responsible for that injury. Personal injury cases can be resolved prior to filing suit, during the course of litigation after a lawsuit is filed, or by going to trial. At trial, a jury determines the outcome after the litigants present their cases.