What Damages Can I Be Entitled To in a Personal Injury Case?

If you have suffered an injury and are looking to file a personal injury lawsuit the first question you may have is what would my case really be worth? To answer that you will need to know the extent of your damages which is the amount of any physical, mental or monetary costs you have suffered due to the event. There are numerous kinds of damages one can be awarded in a personal injury case and it also depends on who is found to be legally responsible for what occurred. This is why it is beneficial to you to be aware of what damages you can be entitled to following an accident including the actions or inactions taken by the plaintiff.

Compensatory Damages

Compensatory damages are those that are awarded to try and help compensate the person who was injured for what they lost due to their injury. The majority of personal injury damages are classified this way and they are intended to help make the injured person “whole” again from a monetary standpoint. Of course this may not always be possible depending on the extent of the injuries, but these damages are there to try and make things right the best they can. Putting a monetary amount on certain damages can sometimes be easy when it comes to reimbursing items like hospital bills or damage to property. However, compensatory damages can be more complicated to figure out when putting a dollar amount on something like the pain and suffering one has to deal with because of an injury or the physical limitations they may have going forward after being in an accident.

In addition to compensatory damages a plaintiff may also be awarded punitive damages as well if the conduct of the defendant is found to be extremely careless or egregious. This differs from the object of just trying to make a person whole after their suffering as it is actually put in place to punish and deter the defendant for their outrageous behavior. There may be a cap on just how much someone can be awarded in punitive damages but awards can still reach millions of dollars.

Contact a Knowledgeable Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident you will want a qualified attorney who has a long history of getting their clients the compensation they are entitled to. Contact Purchase, George & Murphey P.C. by calling us or by filling out our convenient online contact form today to learn more.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.