In regards to the law, damages are
monetary compensation a party receives as a result of a loss or injury that was
caused by the wrongful act of another party. There are two main types of
damages – compensatory and punitive. To find out what damages you may be
entitled to, consult a personal injury lawyer to discuss your
case.
Compensatory Damages
The first type of damages is called compensatory. These types of damages
usually compensate the injured plaintiff for what was lost due to the accident.
Compensatory damages are meant to make the injured "whole" again from
a monetary standpoint.
Some compensatory damages are rather straightforward in
nature, while others may be more difficult to quantify.
Medical Treatment
If you incurred costs for receiving medical care after your
injury, you might be reimbursed for those charges by seeking compensatory
damages. Not only could you be refunded for the amount of money you already
spent, but you could receive funds for the estimated cost of future medical
care as well.
Property Loss
If you lost any property, such as vehicles or clothing, as a
result of the injury, you could be entitled to receive money to cover the fair
market value of those items.
Loss of Earnings
If your injury resulted in your inability to earn your
regular income, you could receive damages. You can also receive money for
losing future income.
Pain and Suffering
You may be entitled to receive damages for the pain and discomfort
you experienced as a result of an injury. Talk with your injury lawyer on how
you may be able to quantify your distress into a financial settlement.
Emotional Distress
You might be able to receive compensation if your injury
caused you to feel fear or anxiety. You could also receive compensation if your
injury left you unable to get adequate sleep as a result of the pain.
Loss of Enjoyment
Sometimes a severe injury leaves the plaintiff unable to
enjoy daily activities, hobbies, or recreation. If this happened to you, you
might be entitled to receive a loss of enjoyment damages.
Loss of Consortium
Sometimes a person's injury affects the rest of the family.
If your injury impacted your spouse or child, he or she may be entitled to loss of consortium damages. This payment
may go directly to the family member as opposed to the person who was
injured.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages were created to punish the
wrongdoer for poor behavior that resulted in the injury. Punitive damages may
arise when a defendant is found guilty of fraudulent behavior. You may also
collect punitive damages if you were the victim of aggravated battery or sexual
assault.
Punitive damages not only punish the defendant, but they are
also meant to act as a deterrent so that the person won't do the same thing to
another victim.
If you have been injured, talk with a personal injury lawyer
to see if you could qualify for compensatory or punitive damages.
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