Phoenix Injury Lawyers, go over the differences of Compensatory and Punitive Damages.
If you have been injured by the fault or negligence of another, the law allows you to seek "damages" for your harm. There are two categories of damages: 1) Compensatory and 2) Punitive.
Compensatory Damages: This type of award is intend to compensate you for the harm caused. These types of damages include medical bills, property damage, lost wages, expenses incurred along the way (mileage, airfare if necessary, etc...) and pain and suffering.
The purpose of compensatory damages is to provide a recovery commensurate with the losses you sustained in the case.
Punitive Damages: An award of punitive damages is reserved for cases when the at fault party's conduct is egregious, spiteful, intentional or done in a manner that completely disregarded causing harm to another.
Examples include assault, impaired (alcohol or drugs) driving or a circumstance where a dangerous condition is completely ignored and serious injury occurs.
The purpose of punitive damages is not to compensate the victim, but rather to punish the wrongdoer. As such, the financial condition of the wrongdoer is important.
The more the wrongdoer is worth, the higher the award should be in order to get the message across.
Not sure what damages you may be entitled to for you case? Ask an experienced phoenix personal injury lawyer to explain your rights. Get more information at http://zacharassociates.com