What Damages Can Be Awarded In A Personal Injury Lawsuit?

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Typically, a personal injury claim involves two types of damages, economic and non-economic damages.

Combined these are often referred to as general damages. They compensate the victim/plaintiff for their injuries.

Economic damages include anything that has a monetary value:

medical bills, medication bills, the cost of medical durable equipment,

future medical care lost wages, lost earning capacity (if one can no

longer perform the duties of their prior occupation)

loss of household services (if one can no longer perform household services),

child care, mileage/transportation, etc

Non-Economic damages include things that don’t have a specific price tag, such as stress, anxiety, pain, suffering, etc.

There is a third type of damages, called Punitive Damages.

They only apply if the defendant that caused the injuries acted in an outrageous manner such that their conduct shocks the conscience, was wanton, willful, and/or showed a disregard for human life or safety.

A Drunk driver shows a disregard for human life when they get behind the wheel of a car.

Another example is when Ford Motor Company chose not to fix a minor problem with their Ford Focus that was prone to explode in collisions without the inexpensive repair because they calculated they would pay out less in potential injury/death claims than they would to revise their assembly line.

Punitive damages are imposed against the defendant to deter similar conduct in the future.

While all liability insurance policies cover general damages, many do not cover punitive damages. When not covered by a liability policy, the defendant would be personally liable to the plaintiff for any punitive damages awarded.

Any Questions? Personal injury law can be very complex. Make

sure you protect your rights and get the knowledge you need in order to make the right choices for your injury case.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with us directly at ZacharLawFirm.com. We offer a 24/7 live chat option.

Or, you can call us directly (602) 494-4800. Schedule your FREE case evaluation with no obligation.