Determining the financial, physical, and mental costs of your injury comes down to damages. If the defendant in your case is found to be negligent, his or her conduct may also be punished.
Damages are injuries and other losses you’ve suffered that are associated with the car accident. Generally, the more severe the injuries, the higher the amount of compensable damages there will be.
Monetary damages are paid to the injured person (plaintiff) by the person or company (defendant) who is found to be liable for the accident. The amount may be agreed upon after a negotiated settlement, or a personal injury lawsuit may be filed and the case will be litigated in court. In this case, the final amount of damages is ordered by a judge or jury following a trial.
Damages like compensation for medical bills or property loss are somewhat simple to quantify, as they are typically a set dollar amount. Putting a dollar amount on general damages such as pain and suffering can be much more challenging. Determining just compensation for general damages is unique to each personal injury case, as they are subjective in nature and can be difficult to quantify.
When determining non-economic damages, your attorney may seek answers to some of the following questions:
When the defendant's conduct is deemed to be particularly egregious or careless, punitive damages may be awarded in addition to compensatory damages. Although punitive damages are awarded to the injured plaintiff, these kinds of damages are intended to punish the defendant and act as a deterrent.
In any personal injury case, negotiating a settlement requires the determination of a reasonable amount of money you would accept to settle for the damages incurred.
Based on liability and damages, trial value is what you can reasonably expect to win at trial. A competent accident or personal injury lawyer will determine whether or not it is worth taking your case to trial in a personal injury lawsuit.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury resulting from a car accident, employing the help of a knowledgeable personal injury attorney can help make a difficult time easier for you and your family.
Our experienced attorneys have litigated many different types of personal injury lawsuits in Citrus County. Contact Lowman Law Firm at (352) 796-0016 or toll-free at (866) 9-LOWMAN.