Personal Injury Law
If you or someone you love has been injured, experienced property damage, or suffered some other kind of loss you may be able to recover damages. To pursue this, you will build a personal injury case. As with most legal proceedings these cases can be difficult to organize and prove if you don’t have professional legal help on your side, which is why you should employ the aid of a lawyer whose practice area includes personal injury.
In personal injury cases, the main goal of your case is to seek damages for whatever injury you suffered. However, it can be really difficult to quantify the losses suffered from an injury, especially if the losses are emotional. The two basic damage categories are compensatory and punitive; here’s what you should know about them.
Compensatory
Compensatory damages, also known as “actual damages,” are intended to provide an appropriate amount of monetary compensation to the person who was injured.
These damages can include things like medical bills, lost wages due to injury, damage to property, and even emotional distress. Compensatory damages are meant to reimburse someone for losses suffered, and are available in most personal injury cases.
Punitive
In contrast to compensatory damages, punitive damages are not meant to compensate for your actual damages, but rather punish the person or party that inflicted the damage. Punitive damages are not available in all personal injury cases. In order to receive this type of damage, the injury sustained must be the result of despicable or reprehensible behavior, for example aggravated battery or sexual assault.
Collecting Your Damages
Being awarded damages is one thing, but actually collecting them is another story. Those tasked with paying damages may be unable or unwilling to give compensation. If this is the case, your lawyer should be able to find ways to get you paid, whether that’s garnishing wages, finding undisclosed assets, or through legal appeals. That’s why it is so important to have a skilled attorney on your side to see you through your case process from start to finish.
Zimmerman Law Offices
Let Zimmerman Law Offices be the legal aid you need to receive the damages you deserve. Our personal injury lawyers are dedicated to seeking justice against those responsible. Our firm has secured over $200 million in verdicts and settlements for victims, including people who suffered injuries and surviving family members in fatal accidents and wrongful death claims. We are dedicated to providing you with the care and counseling you deserve and fight for your right to justice. Call us today at (312) 440-0020 for a free consultation!
Courtesy, in part, of AllLaw
