If you have been the victim of an accident, such as an auto accident or slip and fall, due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, or if you have been injured by a defective product, a personal injury attorney can help you recover financial compensation for the monetary and non-monetary damages created by your injuries.
Damages
Monetary damages are the financial expenses and losses caused by your injuries, including projected future costs and losses. Non-monetary damages include harm such as pain and suffering and loss of the capacity to enjoy life. Monetary and non-monetary damages are compensatory, meaning that they are awarded to compensate you for the financial and personal harm your injuries have caused. Punitive damages are not meant to compensate you, but to punish the offending party. Punitive damages are rarely available.
Through a personal injury lawsuit you may receive compensation for:
- Past, current, and future medical expenses
- Travel required for medical treatment
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Special equipment and home modifications to accommodate disability
- Long-term care
- Home health care
- Past, current, and future lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Loss of the capacity to enjoy life
- Loss of consortium
- Property damage
- Other expenses that are a direct result of your injury, such as hiring help around the house
Each state has its own laws governing personal injury compensation and many states have limits, or caps, on the amount of compensation you can receive for various types of damages. Please consult with a personal injury attorney in your state to learn more about your local laws.
Severe Injuries
Severe injuries are life-altering injuries. They come at a high financial and personal cost to victims and their loved ones. Severe injuries are often permanently disabling and can result in serious secondary conditions and a much shorter life expectancy. The lifetime costs of severe injuries can be in the millions of dollars, and your personal injury lawsuit is usually your only shot at compensation for all of your future costs and expenses. Serious injuries include:
- Burn injuries
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Organ damage or loss
Settlement or Trial
The vast majority of personal injury claims are settled out of court. This saves time and money for both sides, and can help you avoid a lengthy court battle as well as guaranteeing that you will receive compensation rather than gambling on a trial. However, you are not required to accept a settlement offer. Your personal injury attorney can advise you as to whether he believes the offer is fair and if it is in your best interest to accept, but the decision is ultimately up to you.
Sometimes it is necessary to go to trial, and in some cases a jury will award far more than the defendant was willing to offer in a settlement.