If you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence or another person’s wanton wrongdoing, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. This is because victims often are burdened with astronomical expenses related to their injuries that they cannot afford. The damages you can seek are typically broken down into compensatory and punitive. However, many people don’t understand what precisely these damages represent. Please continue reading to learn what compensation you can seek in a personal injury case and discover how our determined Essex County Personal Injury Attorneys can help you secure the rightful compensation you deserve.
What kind of damages can I recover in a New Jersey personal injury case?
As mentioned above, when filing a personal injury lawsuit, you can seek monetary compensation for compensatory and punitive damages. Compensatory damages reimburse victims for their losses, making them “whole” again. Compensatory damages are broken down into the following categories:
- Special damages: Special, also known as economic damages, are quantifiable out-of-pocket losses. Economic damages are tangible losses that can easily be calculated. Economic damages may include but are not limited to the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Household services
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Property damages
- General damages: General, also known as non-economic damages, are intangible losses. These losses are meant to compensate victims for their subjective losses that are not quantifiable. These damages may include but are not limited to the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Inconvicence
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
Ultimately, compensatory damages are intended to reimburse victims for losses caused by another party’s negligence. Punitive damages, on the other hand, are rarely awarded in personal injury lawsuits. The only time that punitive damages are ordered is when the responsible party is found grossly negligent. Essentially, this is when a negligent party willfully or intentionally harms another person. Punitive damages are intended to punish the grossly negligent party to demonstrate that it is not acceptable to show this type of severe disregard for the safety or lives of others.
Should I consult an attorney?
If you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence or intentional wrongdoing, you should acquire quality legal counsel who can guide you through this complex legal process. Before you can collect any compensation for your damages, you must fulfill the burden of proof which can be quite challenging as you must demonstrate that the responsible parties’ negligence directly caused your injuries. From here, you will have to prove your compensatory and punitive damages. To maximize your chances of recovering monetary compensation for your damages, retain the legal services of a skilled Essex County personal injury attorney.
Don’t navigate this complex legal process alone. Allow a dedicated Essex County personal injury attorney from The Law Offices of Christopher T. Howell, Esq. as soon as possible. Our firm is committed to helping our clients obtain the rightful compensation they are entitled to.
