Understanding the types of personal injury damages for which you can claim compensation in San Diego is crucial to ensuring you receive the full scope of your potential compensation. Compensatory damages and personnel and financial losses suffered due to other parties’ negligence are crucial in personal injury claims. They can be segregated into two categories: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are special damages, measurable expenses like last wages and medical bills. Again, non-economic damages, termed general damages, are losses that cannot be measured in monetary valuation. They include suffering, pain, and emotional distress.
Let’s learn more about all the damages under the personal injury claims section. Also, you need to understand how punitive damages in San Diego sometimes need to be awarded apart from personal injury damages.
Economic losses
Special damages, which can be defined in monetary terms and related to the injury, are crucial in proving the damages. To prove these damages, you must gather receipts, bills, and other documentation representing the actual cost incurred due to injuries. This proactive approach can significantly strengthen your claim. It includes your lost income, medical bills, pocket expenses, and property losses. Generally, five categories come under this section:
- Medical expenses for treatments and diagnosis,
- Mental health services,
- Lost earning or income capacity,
- Extra expenses,
- Personal property or vehicle damage.
General damages
These are non-economic classes that include suffering and pain, enjoyment loss, emotional distress, consortium loss, and disfigurement. You won’t receive any item or bill to help you calculate the general compensatory damages.
Based on your circumstances, it’s entirely possible that you may not be eligible for compensation for general damages. For instance, workers’ comp insurance and no-fault auto insurance will not pay for suffering and pain.
If a workplace injury occurred due to a negligent party, you can get total compensation from him and the workers’ comp benefits.
Severe and complicated personal injury cases require the expertise of a professional personal injury attorney. If you or someone you know has suffered severe injuries, these lawyers can help to secure compensation for all damages, often offering free consultations to the injured parties.
Punitive damages
The term punitive indicates punishment. A jury or judge awards punitive damages for the egregious and malicious behavior of the responsible party. The damages warn others of the consequences of bad behavior. You cannot seek this compensation from any insurance company outside the possible injury lawsuit. Juries have awarded millions of dollars to victims for damages caused by corporations’ gross negligence, resulting in disability and death to the accident victims. Cases liable for punitive damages:
- Bad faith
- Dangerous drugs
- Product liability
- Medical malpractice
Juries have even imposed punitive damages on giant corporations manipulating and destroying evidence supporting injury claims.
If you or your loved ones have faced personal injury losses, immediately contact a professional lawyer to guide you step-by-step for filing necessary claims. An expert lawyer can help you get the maximum claim compensation. He can create a solid claim to help you receive the required compensation.
