Recovering damages in personal injury lawsuits
We talk a lot about recovering damages in personal injury lawsuits on our blog, but we rarely get into the details of the types of damages that can be recovered, which we will be discussing today.
The amount of compensation a victim is entitled depends on the kinds of damages that were sustained.
Under the law, it is possible to be compensated for economic damages — such as medical bills and lost wages — and also non-economic damages, which refer to pain and suffering as well as other losses that are typically not associated with a monetary value.
Economic and non-economic damages are known as compensatory damages, which are intended to compensate victims for the actual losses they suffered. Additionally, under California law it is also possible for punitive damages to apply in cases where the defendant was beyond negligent and acted with malice or gross negligence, such as by violating the law.
For example, in a drunk driving case, a victim who was seriously injured may be entitled to compensation for economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages, non-economic damages for pain and suffering, and punitive damages that are intended to punish the driver for bad behavior.
Of course, obtaining the maximum amount of damages requires working with an experienced personal injury lawyer who is willing to deeply investigate your accident and all of the negative repercussions you have suffered as a result.
Anytime a person has suffered a serious loss because of an accident caused by negligence, it is worth consulting an experienced attorney who can help determine whether it would be a good idea to pursue damages and what types of damages may be available.