Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers | July 30, 2025 | Personal Injury

The Difference Between Tort Law and Personal Injury Law

If you’ve been hurt in an accident, you may hear the terms “tort law” and “personal injury law” used interchangeably. While they’re closely related, they are not necessarily the same. Learning about how they differ can help you better navigate your legal options and determine what kind of claim you may have.

In this blog post, we’ll break down the difference between tort and personal injury law and explain how both play a role in accident cases.

Tort law is a broad area of law that deals with civil wrongs. These are acts that cause harm to another person physically, emotionally, or financially. When someone commits a tort, the injured person can file a lawsuit to seek compensation. The goal is to make the injured party “whole” again through financial recovery.

Tort law includes several types of wrongful acts, such as:

This area of law is separate from criminal law. In a tort case, the focus is on compensating the victim, not punishing the offender with jail time or criminal fines. 

While personal injury lawyers may handle cases in each of these areas, not all do. For instance, not all will work with cases involving defamation. 

Personal Injury Law Is a Type of Tort Law

Personal injury law is a specific branch of tort law. It primarily deals with situations where someone is physically or emotionally harmed due to another person’s negligence or misconduct. 

The most common examples include:

  • Car, truck, or motorcycle accidents
  • Medical malpractice
  • Slip and fall incidents
  • Dog bites
  • Workplace injuries
  • Product liability

In these cases, the injured person (called the “plaintiff”) can file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party (called the “defendant”) to seek damages for things like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. 

Note that there can be substantial overlap between these areas of the law. For instance, many personal injury lawyers also take on wrongful death cases and assault cases. 

How Negligence Plays a Role in Both Areas

Negligence is a key concept that ties tort and personal injury laws together. In both, the person bringing the claim must show that someone else acted carelessly or failed to meet a legal duty. This usually involves proving four basic elements:

  • The defendant owed a duty of care
  • That duty was breached
  • The breach caused the injury
  • The injury led to damages

These elements must be proven on a “preponderance of the evidence” basis. 

How Damages Are Handled in Tort and Personal Injury Cases

Both tort and personal injury cases aim to recover damages for the person who was harmed. While the types of damages may vary based on the specific situation, most claims involve some form of financial recovery. 

This may include economic and non-economic damages for things like:

  • Medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Property damage
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of enjoyment of life

In rare cases, courts may also award punitive damages in these cases to punish especially harmful conduct. 

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer from Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers for Help Today

Whether your case falls under general tort law or personal injury law, an experienced attorney can guide you through the process from start to finish. They can internally investigate your accident and work to maximize the value of your claim as much as possible, to name just a few steps they can take on your behalf.

For more information, please contact Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer in North Carolina today. We have twelve convenient locations in North Carolina, including Greenville, Raleigh, Goldsboro, Jacksonville, Kinston, Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Winston-Salem & Garner.

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Raleigh Office
4600 Marriott Dr STE 500, Raleigh, NC 27612
(919) 876-3020

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Durham Office
100 E Parrish St STE 200, Durham, NC 27701
(919) 728-1770

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Goldsboro Office
601 N Spence Ave, Goldsboro, NC 27534
(919) 778-9700

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Charlotte Office
1914 J N Pease Pl Suite 142, Charlotte, NC 28262
(704) 486-5824

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Greenville Office
300 E Arlington Blvd Suite 2A #110, Greenville, NC 27858
(252) 397-8620

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Fayetteville Office
2517 Raeford Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28305
(910) 387-9186

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Greensboro Office
7B Corporate Center Ct Suite 15, Greensboro, NC 27408
(336) 516-9066

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Jacksonville Office
3391 Henderson Dr, Jacksonville, NC 28546
(910) 455-5599

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Garner Office
500 Benson Rd Suite 111, Garner, NC 27529
(800) 525-7111

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Kinston Office
807 N Queen St, Kinston, NC 28501
(252) 397-8624

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Wilmington Office
1608 Queen St Suite 12, Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 889-4064

Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Winston-Salem Office
102 W 3rd St, Ste 1007, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 516-9042