If you sustained injuries in an accident, you might be thinking about filing a personal injury claim.
Being the victim in a personal injury accident is devastating. Not only will you be facing mounting medical bills and expenses, but you also might be looking at a long recovery.
In Pennsylvania, there are several types of compensatory damages that may be available to you as a personal injury victim. The law provides damages to personal injury victims to compensate them for the ways their life has had to change since the injury. You could receive multiple types of compensatory damages to cover your physical, emotional, and financial needs.
In this article, we’ll discuss the different types of compensatory damages available to you in Pennsylvania. The goal of the law is to put you in the position you were in before you were seriously injured.
If you have any questions about your potential claim, contact the attorneys at PhillyLaw LLC. We’d be happy to help.
Types of Compensatory Damages Available
You may be able to recover a variety of compensatory damages from your personal injury claim. They can be special compensatory damages (also known as economic damages), general compensatory damages (non-economic damages), and, potentially, punitive damages.
Special Compensatory Damages
Economic damages, also known as special compensatory damages, are those that will compensate you for the financial costs you’ve had to cover because of your injuries.
1. Damages to cover medical expenses
You may be facing bills for all of the medical tests, procedures, and treatment you’ve had to undergo. These could include bills for surgeries, hospital stays, diagnostic tests, prescription medications, and more. If you need special equipment, like a wheelchair, or rehabilitation, you might also be able to get coverage for those expenses.
2. Damages to cover lost wages and lost future wages
When you get hurt, you may not be able to work. Depending on how serious your injury is, you may be looking at a diminished earning capacity. These types of compensatory damages cover you for your inability to work now and in the future.
3. Damages to cover your property
If any of your property was damaged in the accident, you might be able to receive compensation to cover the property damage.
4. Additional expenses incurred as a result of your injuries
You can also receive compensation for additional miscellaneous expenses that you had to pay due to your injury. For example, if you can no longer drive or need to hire assistance, you may be able to get that expense covered. Or, if you require child care since your accident, you could get that covered as well.
Additionally, if you have to put new equipment or devices in your home to help you get around because of your injuries, you may also be able to request special compensatory damages for those expenses.
General Compensatory Damages
General compensatory damages, also known as non-economic damages, are those that may not be as easy to value from a monetary perspective but are just as important, if not more.
These types of compensatory damages include:
- Emotional anguish, including depression and anxiety
- Physical pain
- Loss of enjoyment of your prior life activities
- Loss of companionship, if your relationship with your spouse has had to change because of your injury
- Damages to cover permanent disfigurement
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are those designed to punish a wrongdoer for their actions. Courts are not inclined to award punitive damages in personal injury situations unless the defendant acted with reckless disregard for others’ safety.
These damages are not based on anything you experienced. Instead, they are solely meant to punish the wrongdoer, as well as deter others from similar bad acts.
Generally, Pennsylvania caps the amount of punitive damages available to twice the amount of compensatory damages received.
Call PhillyLaw LLC When You Need Financial Compensation For Your Injuries
Sustaining serious injuries can dramatically impact your life. Not only will you need to heal physically, but you will also need to heal mentally and emotionally.
If you can’t work or can’t connect with your loved ones, in the same way, you deserve compensation. We can help you get the many different types of compensatory damages you need.
If you sustained injuries because of someone else’s negligence, contact PhillyLaw LLC to discuss the types of compensatory damages that are available to you.
You have nothing to lose by calling us today, and everything to gain.
