Factors That Affect Your Medical Malpractice Case
August 21, 2023
8 Signs Your Hospital Is Terrible & Low-Quality
September 11, 2023
A successful personal injury case involves several moving parts. You will partner with your attorney to gather evidence, enlist witnesses, and seek fair compensation. Damages will play a crucial role in your personal injury case. Learn more about how those financial calculations will contribute to your lawsuit.
Types of Personal Injury Damages
The damages you receive in your personal injury settlement are generally divided into three categories: economic, noneconomic, and punitive.
Economic damages are designed to compensate you for money spent on medical treatment as well as on any mobility aids you require. Noneconomic damages acknowledge the emotional pain and suffering you experienced as a result of your injury. Meanwhile, punitive damages are meant to punish the liable party for their negligence.
Making You Whole
When legal experts talk about making a plaintiff whole, they’re considering all the losses you suffered as a result of your injury. Those losses can include:
- Loss of earning capacity, if you’re no longer able to work,
- Financial losses due to high medical bills, and
- Lowered quality and enjoyment of life.
During the course of your lawsuit, your catastrophic injury attorney will argue that you need full and fair compensation to get your life back on track. The damages you win as part of your settlement will help you get your finances in order and pay for any accommodations you may need to maintain your quality of life.
Punishing the Liable Party
In personal injury cases where the defendant behaved with extreme negligence or malice, the court may opt to add punitive damages to your settlement. If their actions (or inactions) caused you grievous bodily harm, the court may order them to pay more on top of your economic and noneconomic damages.
Punitive damages are meant to deter the defendant from engaging in negligent, reckless, or malicious behavior in the future. These damages are often awarded to plaintiffs in drunk-driving cases, defective product claims, and other cases involving malicious or fraudulent actions.
As you and your attorney prepare your personal injury case, think about the role of the damages you’re seeking. Your settlement must compensate you fully and fairly while deterring the defendant from injuring others in the future. Rossman Law Group’s injury attorneys do not accept lowball settlement offers; we will fight for adequate damages and justice for you.
