When you are first faced with the process of making a personal injury claim, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. This is a complicated area of the law and the nitty-gritty of how a case proceeds and how damages are awarded can vary state by state.
Of course, your personal injury attorney in Long Beach is there to take on all of the elements and manage all the details for you, but at the same time, it is good to have a broad understanding of what is happening in the case, particularly in respect of the damages they are pursuing on your behalf.
Here are some of the most common types of damages, explained by professional personal injury lawyers.
Compensatory Damages
These are damages that are intended to result in you being compensated for your losses. In a sense, these are the opposite of punitive damages, which are damages that are awarded not to provide compensation but rather to assign punishment to a guilty party. In most cases, an accident victim will seek only compensatory damages, but your lawyer will be able to recognize when something is serious or clear-cut enough to want to pursue punitive damages as well.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are classed as a subset of compensatory damages, as they are losses that can be reduced down to the simple factor of monetary loss. They are the types of damages that are attributed by providing evidence of bills, invoices, and other specific documentation that reflects financial status.
You might want to consider opting for an economic damages claim if you want to fight for things like medical expenses, the cost to replace or repair a vehicle from an accident, any future or current income that has been lost by having to miss work, or any losses incurred by things like forced transportation alternatives if you are unable to drive through injury or a ruined vehicle.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are another common subset, and as the name implies, they are designed to cover losses that are not as easily identifiable as monetary amounts. This will include things like a chronic struggle with physical pain, an ongoing problem with mental health or anguish, a period of emotional distress resulting from a key incident, or the loss of consortium. For example, families or individuals who are hoping to pursue a wrongful death claim will be able to take action for things like loss of companionship and loss of support, as well as things like loss of future income and financial support.
If you should ever find yourself in need of a personal injury attorney in Long Beach, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with the best in the business at Belal Hamideh Law. Feel free to contact any one of our experienced and highly qualified team members and they will be more than happy to answer any questions that you have and take down the particulars of your case. We look forward to being able to help.