When a person is injured as a result of another’s negligence, California law permits them to bring a personal injury claim for compensation. Automobile accidents, bus accidents, building site accidents, and dog attacks are all examples.
In a personal injury case, the objective of compensation is to compensate the victim for all of the ways the accident has damaged their life. To put it another way, the compensation should as closely as possible restore them to their pre-accident condition. This may necessitate two types of compensation: economic and non-economic damages.
Continue reading to learn more about these sorts of damages, and then call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 if you need a personal injury lawyer.
Economic losses
Economic damages, often known as special damages, compensate the victim for expenses incurred as a result of the accident or injury. This might include both present and future expenses. The most common type of economic loss is medical expenditures for any injuries incurred as a result of the incident.
In the case of a car accident, property damages may be sought to cover damage to the victim’s vehicle. If the harm was severe enough to preclude the sufferer from working, damages for lost wages would be justified. All of these sorts of losses may be easily documented using bills and pay stubs. You do not, however, need to have a bill in hand to file a claim for financial damages.
Victims of disabling injuries can seek compensation for future medical treatment, rehabilitation, physical therapy, nursing care, and vocational rehabilitation, among other things. The value of these damages will be determined by medical experts’ opinions.
Non-economic losses
Non-economic damages, often known as general damages, are designed to compensate personal injury victims for intangible losses caused by the accident’s changes in their lives. Non-economic losses include pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium (loss of a relationship with a partner). The economic damages’ more concrete losses are used to quantify these losses.
Someone who has a large medical bill for a significant injury, for example, is seen to be in greater pain and suffering than someone who has a smaller charge but a less serious condition. It may be difficult to put a monetary value on non-economic damages, and it is best done with the assistance of an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Punitive damages
In rare cases, personal injury victims may be entitled to punitive damages. These damages are intended to penalize the at-fault party rather than compensate the victim. Only in California are punitive damages allowed when the at-fault party acts with malice, oppression, or fraud.
Contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 if you have any concerns or need the assistance of an experienced attorney.
