If you, or a loved one, have been injured in an accident, you undoubtedly have many questions. Chief among your questions very well may center in financial compensation, on getting a fair settlement or judgment in your case. There are a number of factors to bear in mind when it comes to financial recovery in a personal injury case. During a consultation with a personal injury lawyer, you will discover that there are three general types of compensation in an accident case.
1. Special Compensatory Damages
Special compensatory damages represent the payment of money designed to compensate an injured person for actual losses as the result of an accident. These includes such things as:
- medical bills and expenses
- property damage
- lost wages
- other quantifiable losses
2. General Compensatory Damages
General compensatory damages provide compensation to an injured person for what are known as non-monetary losses arising from an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. These include:
- pain and suffering
- mental anguish and emotional distress
3. Punitive or Exemplary Damages
The final type of damages which might be awarded in a personal injury case are known as punitive or exemplary damages. Punitive or exemplary damage are awarded in lawsuits in a limited set of circumstances.
Punitive or exemplary damages are awarded in a personal injury lawsuit when a demonstration is made that the conduct of the party that causes an accident was particularly reckless or egregious. There are limitations on the amount of money that can be awarded in the form of punitive or exemplary damages.
Comprehensive Compensation in a Personal Injury Case
Following an accident, a skilled personal injury lawyer strives to obtain comprehensive compensation on behalf of a client. The stark reality of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence is that losses can carry onward into the future. You very wall may face ongoing medical care and treatment following an accident. For example, you may require physical and occupational therapy as part of the recovery process.
On a related front, you may endure pain for an extended period of time. Some people experience pain from injuries sustained in an accident for the remainder of their lives. You may not be able to return to work any time soon. Indeed, you may never be able to return to the same type of work you enjoyed before the accident as a result of the injuries you sustained. All of these represent the type of reasonably foreseeable losses for which a personal injury strives to obtain compensation for a client. This includes striving to obtain full financial recovery during the claims settlement process or in a personal injury lawsuit.
Retaining the professional assistance of a skilled, tenacious personal injury lawyer is a wise step to enhance your prospect of obtaining justice in your case, and the compensation you deserve. The first step in engaging the services of a personal injury lawyer is scheduling what is known as an initial consultation. During an initial consultation, legal counsel provides you with an evaluation of your case. This includes a discussion of possible strategies designed to enhance the prospects that you obtain appropriate financial compensation in your claim or lawsuit. As a matter of common practice, a personal injury lawyer charges no fee for an initial consultation in a personal injury case.
