What kind of compensation can car accident victims get in PA?

A serious car accident can generate a series of negative consequences, not all of them immediately predictable. In addition to taking a toll on your health and emotions, an accident can wreak havoc on your finances.

Personal injury lawsuits can help you obtain compensation for the harm you have sustained as a result of the crash. While the law cannot cure a health condition or return your enjoyment of life, it does provide a mechanism for arriving at a monetary approximation of the damages.

Compensating for economic harm

The largest and easiest-to-calculate portion of a typical personal injury damages award in Pennsylvania consists of compensatory damages. Compensatory damages aim to rectify financial harm.

Some of the award may cover past and current expenses stemming from the accident, such as medical bills and lost wages. In some cases, experts may predict that you will continue experiencing financial losses in the form of continuing necessary treatments, loss of job opportunities or the complete inability to work.

Pain and suffering

While it can be hard to put a monetary sum to damages for which you cannot simply present a receipt, the harm from a car crash often ranges far beyond the purely financial. Injuries can result in physical pain, discomfort and anxiety from ongoing procedures and psychological trauma.

Punitive damages for intentional or reckless wrongdoing

Generally, punitive damages will not apply in a case based on negligence. However, in some personal injury cases, plaintiffs may request these if they can show the defendant acted willfully or maliciously in causing the accident.

These damages aim to punish intentional wrongful conduct, not mere carelessness. One common example of a car accident case where punitive damages may be appropriate is a case where the defendant was drunk.

This blog entry was posted on behalf of [nap_names id=”FIRM-NAME-1″], and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the firm or its attorneys. The information presented in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice.