The legal term for the kind of compensation that you can expect if you’re the victim of a property damage or personal injury is called damages. Damages as such come in a few different forms – compensatory and punitive. The former, compensatory damages, can be broken down into two different types – special compensatory damages and general compensatory damages.
Compensatory and Punitive Damages
Special compensatory damages include all kinds of monetary compensation following an injury that can be attributed to the negligence of another party. Because of, say, a slip-and-fall accident that can be attributed to the negligence of a store owner, you may be eligible for special compensatory damages, including: lost past wages, lost future wages, past or current medical bills, future medical bills, and other kinds of expenses associated with lost opportunity.
General compensatory damages would be awarded according to the degree of pain and suffering or mental anguish that certain injuries caused on the victim. Now, most of the discussion that will follow concerns compensatory damages, but it may also be worthwhile to include information about punitive damages. Although much more rare, punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongdoer for certain kinds of egregious or despicable behaviors.
Slip-and-fall Accidents
Defective stairs and building entrances or standing water that’s not clearly marked can all form the foundation of a personal injury case and substantial compensation. The negligence claim usually hinges on whether the property owner or business owner who is being accused of negligence acted reasonably or not vis-a-vis making periodic safety checks of the property.
Road Accident
Personal injuries like whiplash and broken limbs can result from car accidents. You could be entitled to significant compensation if you’ve been involved in a road accident that you believe resulted from another driver’s negligence behind the wheel.
Medical Malpractice
Medical error and negligence (medical malpractice) can be caused during diagnostics, treatment, or aftercare in a healthcare setting. Medical malpractice could mean significant compensation.
Product Defect
If you find that a product you purchased had a manufacturing error or was unreasonably dangerous when used as intended, then you may have a product defect case on your hands, provided a few other conditions are in place.
Bear in mind that the product defect must have caused a personal injury, and you must have been using the product as intended when that injury happened. Contact Riverside lawyers if you think you’ve been the victim of a product defect personal injury.
Author Bio: Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer living in Boston, MA. When not writing, she enjoys reading and indoor rock climbing. Find her on Google +
