Types of Damages in a Personal Injury Case
In a personal injury case, it is important for the injured party to be compensated for their injuries by the negligent party who caused the accident. Whether it’s a car accident or slip and fall, SUV rollover or construction accident, you deserve compensation for your injuries.
During the civil action, there are a variety of types of damages for which you may be eligible to seek compensation, including:
Compensatory: Actual
These are damages that seek to compensate victims for financial losses stemming directly from their injuries. Examples of actual compensatory damages include:
- Medical expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Prescription drug costs
- Costs of living with a disability
- Lost wages
- Repair or replacement of property
- Funeral expenses (if necessary)
Compensatory: General
These are damages paid to victims for non-monetary losses incurred as a direct result of their injuries. Examples of general compensatory damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement
- Loss of future earning potential
- Loss of consortium (if necessary)
Punitive
These are monetary awards given to victims to deter the defendant (and others) from choosing to engage in similar conduct in the future.
Nominal
These are small damages for technical rather than actual loss or harm. For example: $1 verdict against the National Football League in the 1986 antitrust suit prosecuted by the United States Football League.
Understanding what damages you may be eligible to seek recovery is important. All too often, victims settle for less than they deserve because they do not have an attorney, like those at Stephens, Anderson & Cummings or Kurasch & Klein, Ltd., fighting for them. Experienced attorneys can help you understand the greater implications of any injuries you may have sustained and fight for the maximum compensation to which you may be legally entitled.
If you have been seriously injured, it is best to get legal advice from an experienced attorney in your area.