Personal injury is a legal term for harm to the body, mind, or emotions, typically pursued as a tort lawsuit seeking compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life. Before the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, such lawsuits were virtually nonexistent because people rarely traveled, accidents were usually inflicted by friends or family, and most defendants had no recoverable assets. Early common law imposed heavy barriers: victims were disqualified from testifying due to their own interest in the case, and the maxim actio personalis moritur cum persona meant any claim "died" if the victim died. Major reforms arrived in the 1800s, notably the Fatal Accidents Act 1846, which allowed wrongful death claims, and later statutes (1840s–1890s) that lifted the witness disqualification rule, enabling victims to testify. Additionally, strict hearsay rules and narrow case criteria—such as requiring disinterested third-party witnesses—made legal action extremely difficult until modern tort law evolved.