When you get injured by a negligent party, you can file a personal claim or lawsuit against them. You will be required to prove negligence, causation, and damages. The goal of the lawsuit is to get compensation for all losses related to the accident. If you are successful, you could be entitled to two main classes of damages from the at-fault party.
Personal injury victims always seek compensatory damages. These are amounts designed to offset your actual losses. In some cases, you could also seek punitive damages. This is compensation reserved for acts of gross negligence or malice.
Have you been injured by a negligent party in New Jersey? Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone to discuss your eligibility for damages with a Jersey City Personal Injury Attorney.
What Are Compensatory Damages?
Essentially, courts award compensatory damages to plaintiffs to cover the actual losses they have suffered due to the accident. This compensation can be used to reimburse you for present and future medical bills. They can also cover pain and suffering.
Compensatory damages can be categorized into two main classes; economic and non-economic.
Economic Compensatory Damages
Economic damages cover all losses with monetary value. This means any service or item you had to pay for or any money lost due to your injuries. In most personal injury cases, plaintiffs are awarded the following economic damages:
Medical expenses
Severe accident injuries usually require extensive medical treatment. This could include ambulance costs, lab testing, treatment, medication, and hospital stays. You could also require medical devices, rehabilitation, and at-home care. Therefore, a significant portion of your economic damages will be used to cover these medical expenses.
Lost income
Your injuries could cause you to miss work. When this happens, you might lose income, wages, benefits, raises, or promotions as you recover. Compensatory damages can reimburse all the benefits you would have received if you were at work.
Your injuries could be permanent and prevent you from engaging in income-generating activities. In this case, your damages will cover future living expenses.
Property damage
If your accident caused harm to your property, you could receive damages to cover repair or replacement. You could also get reimbursed for loss of value. Common property damage cases involve vehicles and any items stored inside them.
To receive property damage, an expert appraiser will be called in to value your property. This might take a while and could delay your settlement.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are harder to quantify. They cover all subjective losses that have no monetary value. Generally, there is no exact formula to determine these losses. Your attorney will work to show how your injuries have affected other aspects of your life.
In a personal injury case, you could receive these damages to cover:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental trauma
- Loss of consortium
How Can a Jersey City Personal Injury Attorney Help?
Severe accident-related injuries usually require extensive treatment. This can set you back hundreds or thousands of dollars. Aside from the medical bills, you could also lose wages and suffer property damage. Seeking compensatory damages can help cover all these losses.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a personal injury accident, contact attorney Carbone. An expert Jersey City Personal Injury Attorney who can help you get the compensation you deserve.