Denver Personal Injury Attorney Explains the Different Types of Damages
Unfortunately, many people are injured because of another person’s negligent behavior. Drivers who are injured in car accidents caused by reckless drivers or victims of slip and fall accidents caused by a property owner’s negligence have to suffer because of someone else’s poor choices. Luckily, the law may compensate these victims with three different types of damages. Mark A. Simon, a Denver personal injury attorney, explains each of them:
Economic Damages
First, victims may be awarded economic damages after an injury. These damages are used to compensate a victim for any expenses they have incurred related to the injury. For example, economic damages would cover medical bills, the cost of prescription medications, and the cost of transportation to and from the doctors’ office. Economic damages will also compensate the victim for any lost income that he has suffered as a result of the injury. So, if you have had to take time off of work in order to recover from your injuries, you may receive compensation to make up for the income that you lost during your recovery.
Victims must keep as much evidence as possible so they can prove that they have suffered losses and incurred expenses as a result of the injury. This means they should keep a copy of any receipts related to their expenses, and ask their employer to confirm the time they have taken off of work. Learn more about economic damages here.
Non-Economic Damages
The losses and expenses that are compensated with economic damages can be easily proven with receipts and invoices, but proving non-economic damages is a bit trickier. Non-economic damages compensate victims for any emotional pain they have experienced as a result of the injury. For example, if a victim lost a limb in a car accident and has suffered severe anxiety and depression as a result of this injury, he may be awarded non-economic damages.
The court may also award the victim’s significant other non-economic damages for the loss of companionship that she has suffered as a result of the victim’s injuries. For instance, if a victim’s brain injury has greatly affected his ability to connect and communicate with his spouse, the spouse may be able to collect loss of companionship damages from the defendant.
Punitive Damages
In some cases, the victim will be awarded punitive damages in addition to non-economic and economic damages. Punitive damages are awarded in cases where the court finds that the defendant caused the victim’s injuries because he was acting extremely negligent. This type of compensation is not used to help a victim pay expenses or handle emotional pain, but rather to punish the defendant for his irresponsible behavior. It also serves as a warning to the public of what may happen if anyone else makes the same reckless choices.
If you have any questions about your personal injury case, attorney Mark A. Simon can help. If you have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, call us or contact Mark A. Simon to discuss your rights during a free consultation.