Degree Overview: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree in Personal Injury
Majors Overview March 6, 2015Get information about a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program in Personal Injury and its coursework and job and wage outlook.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree Programs in Personal Injury
Students enrolled in a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program in Personal Injury gain a foundation in legal skills; to this end, they learn how to prepare litigation, supervise documentation, and conduct research. Once they complete the program, they can seek entry-level careers in numerous fields of personal injury law, such as damage presentation, case law analysis, brief preparation, and negligence discovery. Coursework is also designed to teach analysis of medical reports and assessment of product liability and insurance claims.
Coursework
Core coursework may include topic areas such as:
•Pre-litigation protocols
•Motor Vehicle Insurance Claims Investigation
•Limitation
•Liability
•Tactics and Negotiations
•Instructing Expert Witnesses
Acquisition of Skills
Students enrolled in a B.S. in Personal Injury degree program are taught skills pertinent to the personal injury specialization, including critical thinking and communication skills, to augment technical proficiencies in medical malpractice litigation, medical records summation and review, product liability, and insurance law.
Reasons to Enroll in a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree Program in Personal Injury
After completion of a B.S. in Personal Injury, a student may choose to enter law school; alternatively, he or she may seek advanced knowledge within the fields of neutral evaluation or mediation.
While personal injury litigation is common, a person with specialized education would be able to handle such cases, even if the individual did not possess the advanced, generalized background that an actual lawyer would.
It is possible to handle many lawsuits outside the courtroom; a B.S. in Personal Injury would qualify a graduate to seek employment as someone representing the parties involved in a dispute. In the majority of instances, a person with academic legal training is often preferred as a reprehensive by parties in cases handled outside the confines of the court; the outcome of such proceedings would be equivalent, in its finality, to a judge’s verdict. Many schools offer master’s degree programs; individuals enrolled in these programs are conferred advanced degrees with personal injury concentrations.
Job and Wage Outlook
Over the 2012 – 2022 decade, arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators should see job growth rates of 10% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In 2012, these legal professionals brought home an average annual wage of $61,280. Growth in the profession is expected to be driven by the growing need for alternative prosecution of complaints outside of court, given the high cost of litigation.