You can receive multiple types of compensation during a personal injury claim. The two main umbrellas these fall under are compensatory and punitive damages. Almost all cases seek coverage for compensatory damages.
Although this is not an exhaustive list, it will give you an idea of the damages you can recover in a personal injury claim.
Special damages
Also known as economic damages, you incur out-of-pocket costs from an accident. These include:
- Medical expenses
- Property repair and replacement costs
- Lost wages or earning capacity
- Lost irreplaceable items
- Canceled or altered trip expenses
If you are in a motor vehicle accident or have another type of personal injury, this compensation covers the costs you had to pay or anything you lost due to the event.
General damages
General damages are the ones that you cannot tally up to get a total. These can include a variety of inconveniences, such as pain and suffering.
Wrongful death costs
Wrongful death costs are all damage costs that you incur due to wrongful death. In this case, if you lose a loved one in an accident, the funds recovered from this compensation go to you.
Punitive damages
Punitive damages do not cover your losses. Instead, they are a punishment for the at-fault party’s actions. The court can award these if they feel that the rest of your compensation does not create enough of a deterrent for the at-fault individual to keep them from making the same mistake again.
At-fault individuals or companies must deal with the consequences of their actions. Therefore, you need to make sure that you fight for these types of compensation.
