Personal injuries are unique to every person, and as such, they all qualify for different types and amounts of damages. If you’re wondering how much you’re entitled to recover in a personal injury lawsuit, there are a lot of factors you’ll need to take a look at. One good step would be contacting your lawyer to get direction on the situation, but to get started, some types of damages you may be able to seek include the following.
Special Compensatory Damages
These are damages that are easy to quantify. They have a monetary value and you are basically asking to be repaid for the expenses you paid or will pay in the future. Special compensatory damages typically have a paper trail, making it harder for the defendant to argue the validity of such expenses. Some examples include:
- Lost wages
- Medical bills, including those past, present and future
- Property damage repairs
- Loss of future job opportunities
- Loss of property
General Compensatory Damages
These are damages that are not as easy to quantify. There is no paper trail and they are often considered subjective. The best way to determine how much you should seek for general compensatory damages is to contact an attorney who can walk you through the mathematical process of it all. Some examples include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium or companionship
- Emotional stress
- Disability, both temporary and permanent
- Reduced quality of life.
Punitive Damages
These are damages that are not available in every personal injury case. If your case was a true accident and the defendant shows actual remorse, you may not be awarded punitive damages. If the defendant is haughty, and it has been proven that he or she acted with intentional negligence or severe carelessness, punitive damages may be awarded. They’re meant to punish the defendant further, as a way to deter the behavior from happening ever again, and the plaintiff receives the financial benefit of that discipline.
Receiving Help From Your Attorney
When you start looking at all the different types of damages that are possible to seek, it could get overwhelming. How do you calculate general damages? Have you collected all the bills needed to come up with a special damages amount? With the help of your personal injury attorney, it could be easier to settle on an amount that offers a real possibility of winning. Contact a personal injury lawyer, like a personal injury attorney from Rispoli & Borneo, P.C., today to get the help you need.
