Calculating Damages in a Personal Injury Lawsuit

A Message from your Boca Raton Injury Attorney

When you or a loved one suffers injuries due to another person’s negligence, you may have a claim for damages against the responsible person. The amount of your claim will determine how much compensation that you may be entitled to receive from the negligent person or persons. There are several types of damages for which you may be eligible as compensation for your injuries. However, as your Boca Raton injury attorney knows, determining the amount of those damages can be difficult and depends upon the facts and circumstances surrounding your case.

Damages in personal injury cases are typically divided into two broad categories: economic and non-economic damages. Economic or monetary damages include:

● medical bills resulting from the victim’s injuries, including past, present and future invoices;

● expenses related to rehabilitation; ● lost income and wages resulting from the victim’s injuries; ● loss of future income or ability to earn income; and ● other direct expenses stemming from the accident.

Another type of economic damage is property damage. Property damage might occur, for instance, if a victim’s vehicle was damaged or destroyed during a car accident. Generally, the value of property damage is measured by the reasonable cost of repairing the property, or in the case of a total loss of the property, the fair market value of the property at the time of loss.

Non-economic damages in personal injury cases include mental and physical pain and suffering, permanent physical impairment, disability, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. Since these losses are non-economic, your Boca Raton injury attorney can advise you that the value of such damages varies considerably from case to case. A damage expert can help calculate the value of these losses and, if a personal injury case reaches trial, it is up to the jury to determine the value of these types of claims based on the evidence in the case, including expert testimony.

The amount of damages that a victim may receive from a personal injury case also depends on whether the victim was at fault for the accident that led to the injuries. If, for instance, a victim is partially responsible for the accident or his own injuries, then the compensation to which the victim is entitled is reduced. For example, if a victim is 50% at fault for the accident, then he may be entitled to recover only 50% of his total damages resulting from the accident.

If you or a loved one is injured in any type of accident, a skilled personal injury attorney can help evaluate your claim and determine the amount of damages to which you are entitled. Contact your Boca Raton injury attorney at the Shiner Law Group today for a free evaluation of your case.