What does "liability" mean in a personal injury case?

Liability in a personal injury case refers to legal responsibility for causing the injury. A defendant is "liable" when the evidence establishes that their conduct — through negligence, recklessness, or intentional action — caused your harm, and that the law imposes an obligation on them to compensate you. Establishing liability is the first of two major hurdles in any personal injury case (the second being damages). Some cases involve clear liability (rear-end collisions, DUI accidents, acknowledged defective products). Others involve disputed liability where the defendant denies fault, argues you contributed to the accident, or claims the hazard was "open and obvious." Multiple parties can share liability in a single accident — a driver, their employer, and a vehicle manufacturer might all share responsibility for the same crash under different legal theories. Your attorney's role includes investigating all potential liability theories to identify the broadest pool of responsible parties.