When you file a personal injury claim, you can get compensation for your injuries from the responsible party. Your attorney in Roseville, CA will help you get compensation, or damages, that are awarded if you win your suit or reach a settlement before trial. There are four categories of damages that you can seek in a personal injury claim. These are all related to the accident either directly or things that happened as a result. Many people don’t really understand the differences between damages or what types of damages they can seek after an accident.
Here is a quick breakdown of the damages you can seek in a personal injury claim and what they include.
Special Compensatory Damages
This is the most common type of damages. This contains the financial aspect that resulted from the accident. This can include medical bills, loss of income, and household expenses that stacked up due to an inability to work. This will also include damages to your vehicle in car accident claims. Depending on how severe your injuries were, it can also include future expenses that you expect to have such as further medical treatment. You can even get money for cancelled trips or altered plans.
General Compensatory Damages
These damages are non-monetary damages. This means anything that it includes harm that is “generally” sustained in an injury. This is where pain and suffering is awarded. Any type of mental stress or emotional disturbance caused by the accident is included in general compensatory damages. This can even include pain you suffered due to physical injuries. Your Roseville Personal Injury Lawyer will help you determine if you can get this type of damage for your accident.
Wrongful Death Damages
In the event of a loved one’s death due to an accident caused by someone else, the family is entitled to sue for wrongful death damages. Most of this category also falls under Special Compensatory and General Compensatory damages. You can get money for funeral and burial expenses, pre-death medical care, emotional distress, and loss of financial support.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are awarded if the defendant acted in ways that is despicable or reprehensible. This can include criminal cases. Victims of violent crime or fraudulent behavior can sue the responsible party for punitive damages that resulted in the act. You might have also heard this term on TV ads involving defective products or prescription drugs like the Johnson & Johnson mesothelioma case. Judges often award this when they feel like the other damages aren’t enough to compensate for the injuries and juries often award this for defendants with “deep pockets”.
Your lawyer in Roseville, CA will help you collect awarded damages from the other party. If the party is unwilling to pay, your lawyer can garnish wages, place liens on property, or discover undisclosed assets. Talk to your lawyer about the costs that will be taken out for court fees and your lawyer’s contingency fee before you hire them for your case.