In the state of Georgia, if you were injured in a car crash or another type of accident due to someone else’s negligence, you may want to pursue personal injury damages. There are three types to know when you are considering legal recourse.
How Personal Injury Damages Work
Specific figures can and will vary greatly depending on each accident. Every situation is unique, which is why it is important you get answers to your questions from an experienced personal injury attorney in Atlanta.
As the plaintiff in a personal injury case, you can seek compensatory damages, meaning the amounts are based on the losses you suffer from your injuries.
1. Economic Damages
Much of the time, the monetary losses you will seek will be to cover the medical treatments and medications you need due to the injuries you have sustained. You may also seek to recover the financial losses from traveling for treatments, purchasing devices to assist you with sustained injuries, rehabilitative care, and hiring home health aides and household help.
Additionally, with monetary losses, you can also seek recompense for the money you would have earned if it were not for the accident that caused your injuries. This means any lost wages from being unable to work, diminished earnings, and the loss of opportunities.
An experienced attorney in personal injury can help to provide official reports that will assess the likely future damage from your continuing need for medical intervention. When you are injured by the carelessness of others, trying to claim what you need on your own will likely result in underestimating the costs. You should seek what is rightfully yours, not just in the present term but also by examining how the injuries will affect your future.
2. Non-Economic Damages
Another type of personal injury damage you may pursue is pain and suffering. It is a bit more difficult to calculate the financial impacts of such damages; however, they are indicative of your physical and emotional pain.
The anguish you may feel from the physical pain can prevent you from enjoying your life. Additionally, you may suffer from mental and emotional problems following the accident. Severe injuries can make it difficult for you to be with your family, enjoy social or romantic relationships, and may cause other non-economic effects that hinder your enjoyment of life.
3. Punitive Damages
The third type of personal injury damages you may seek are punitive damages. Simply put, these are based on the defendant’s conduct and the extent to which it deserves punishment rather than simply looking for compensation for your losses.
In Georgia, the law only allows these types of damages when it can be proven that the defendant not only acted with negligence but also with a high degree of intention or recklessness. By proving that the defendant broke the law and thus caused the accident, punitive damages can be awarded by the judge or jury in a personal injury case.
An example of this is when a defendant is convicted of DUI. This would prove that your case is deserving of punitive damages. Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney will ensure that you recover the compensation you deserve for all damages.
