If you’ve experienced a personal injury, and you’re considering a lawsuit, it’s important to understand the three different types of damages you could ask for. That can help you work more closely with your attorney, for the best resolution to your case. Here’s what you need to know about damages in a Reno personal injury lawsuit.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages are the most direct kind and are focused primarily on issues such as lost wages and medical bills, along with damage to your property. Even with this area of damage, though, there can be some difficulties in determining what is fair and just. For example, there are often arguments about how to determine lost future wages, since that’s an amount that could vary.
Basing this amount on current wages isn’t necessarily accurate, as you would have been expected to advance in your career and theoretically make more money, had you not been injured. Additionally, the argument could be made that the personal injury slowed your career plans, even if they weren’t stopped entirely. There are many issues to consider for these damages.
Noncompensatory Damages
Noncompensatory damages are damages that are more difficult to find a dollar amount for, such as anxiety, or pain and suffering. These damages are very real and can greatly affect a person’s life, but they’re not clear-cut expenses that come with a bill attached. Because of the nature of these damages, they’re a frequent point of contention during a Reno personal injury lawsuit.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are specifically for cases where the other party has truly acted in bad faith, and that caused harm. These damages aren’t designed just to make you whole, but to punish the other party for their actions and let them serve as a bad example to others. You have to be awarded compensatory damages first, before you can receive punitive damages.
Some Kinds of Cases Have Damage Limits
Most types of personal injury cases in Nevada don’t have any upper limits. That means you could recover a very large sum for compensation, depending on the type of injury and the facts of your case. There are a few kinds of injuries, though, that have limited compensation amounts, especially for noncompensatory and punitive damages. These include:
- Medical malpractice cases
- Lawsuits filed against a public employee
- Lawsuits filed against certain kinds of public landowners
- Punitive damages in the majority of cases
Understanding the kinds of damages you can receive, and the limits for compensation, can help you and your attorney make wise decisions about how to structure your case and what type and level of compensation to ask for.
Work with an Attorney You Can Rely On
If you’re contemplating a Reno personal injury lawsuit, contact us at Coulter Harsh Law today. We’re here to help, and we want to talk about your case. Working with a trusted Reno personal injury attorney can make a difference in the success of your lawsuit and in the recovery of fair and just compensation for your injuries.
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