If you experience a severe injury, you might face unexpected costs and hardships. A personal injury lawsuit can help you get compensation in the form of damages.
Learning about the various types of damages awarded in injury lawsuits can help you determine the appropriate legal steps to take after an accident.
Lost wages
Medical bills after a serious injury can be extensive. You might require surgery, medication and ongoing physical therapy to recover fully. Some injuries also result in hospitalization, which can be costly. In addition to healthcare expenses, injured people often have difficulty fulfilling work responsibilities. You might experience lost earnings because you cannot attend your job.
Furthermore, a serious injury could negatively impact your ability to earn a living in the future. You could also find it more challenging to meet family and household obligations such as childcare and housework. Some injured people spend additional money paying for assistance while recovering. Severe injuries can cause psychological trauma and distress, too. In a personal injury case, you can seek damages to cover all these losses.
General and special damages
Courts can award both general and special damages as compensation for injured people. General damages cover the emotional suffering and enduring physical pain that severely injured people often experience. Special damages include medical expenses, property damage and income loss. You can seek both kinds of damages if you file a personal injury lawsuit. Additionally, in some cases, defendants must pay punitive damages, which penalize wrongful behavior.
Personal injury lawsuits can award damages to injured people to compensate for pain and difficulties and cover various expenses.
