When there is a personal injury claim, chances are you’ll hear the word “damages.” But what does that mean? If someone has been hurt, the term “damages” refers to the following:
- Physical injury and pain
- Emotional injury and pain
- Lost wages
- Medical bills
- Property Damage
In the legal realm, to receive an “award of damages” refers to the payment of monetary compensation to the injured person for the above listed things.
Compensatory Damages:
Compensatory damages are meant to compensate an injured party for their current and future losses casued by the accident.
The purpose is to return someone to as close to their before accident condition as possible.
Some examples of compensatory damages:
- Medical bills
- Property loss
- Loss wages
- Loss of income
- Loss of capacity to earn income
- Bodily injury and or disfigurement
- Physical and mental pain
- Loss of enjoyment
- Loss of consortium
Punitive Damages:
Punitive damages are meant to punish intentional and or careless behavior. The intent is to punish and to deter future conduct.
Punitive Damages are not meant to support the victim, but instead, to punish the evildoer. Nevertheless, punitive damages are awarded to the victim, and/or can be earmarked in whole or in part for special funds, organizations or charities.
What is damages, is it related, is it compensable and how much is it worth can all be very difficult concepts to compute and prove.
If you have a case, and if you have questions or need help, seek the assistance of an experienced personal injury lawyer in Phoenix.
Look for a trial lawyer, one Certified by the Arizona State Bar in Injury/Death cases.
That is your best hope for getting someone with a proven track record in serious injury/death cases.
