Many of our clients are asking about the factors affecting personal injury damage awards. In this blog, we provide details about personal injury damage awards. Read on to find out more.
The injury attorneys at Phoenix Accident and Injury Law Firm near you have significant experience in helping clients who need help receiving personal injury damage award. Our offices are conveniently located in nearby Chandler, Peoria, and North Phoenix, and we can meet in-person at our nearby offices, over the phone, or video call. You can contact us for a free consultation, or read on to find out more.
By the way, we will also help with other problems that have cost you sleep, like getting a rental car very soon and finding a nearby doctor who can help you. Even the best legal team isn’t good enough if your quality of life isn’t sustainable while justice and compensation are on the way. The whole point of legal action is to regain quality of life, so we help you long-term as attorneys and short-term as your go-to people. Our familiarity with the local Phoenix courts makes us confident that we can help you get the best settlement possible.
Factors that Determine How Much the Personal Injury Damage Award Is
Because there are so many factors contributing to a judge’s decision—and because parties sometimes settle out of court—it’s tough to predict how much you’ll is the personal injury damages award if you win a lawsuit. However, there are common themes that run through many personal injury cases and some things will almost certainly affect the amount of money you receive in damages.
The Types of Damages in Personal Injury Cases
Before we talk about what affects the potential damages such as personal injury damage you’ll recover, it’s important that you know there are two types of damages: compensatory and punitive.
Compensatory damage is intended for you, the victim, to replace money you lost by not being able to work or pay hospital bills. Compensatory damages in a personal injury case are for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other reasons.
Punitive damages are given to the injured party, but their purpose is different: they’re intended to punish the guilty party for contributing to your injury.
Who’s at Fault?
It’s essential to determine who’s at fault for your injury. Sometimes a jury will find that you’re partially responsible, and if that’s the case, you’ll likely end up receiving less in damages. On the other side of the coin, you may be completely innocent and the jury cannot find any fault with your actions. In that case, the person or business responsible for your personal injury will likely have to compensate you.
How Responsible Were You with Your Injury?
If you wait to seek medical treatment until your condition becomes worse, you may not be entitled to receive as much a personal injury damages award if you would have you sought treatment immediately. Let’s say you had a neck injury that could’ve been treated immediately, but you waited until your back also began to hurt, causing back problems that could have been prevented by treatment of the neck injury. That’s not always the case, so it’s best to talk to your personal injury lawyer before you jump to any conclusions.
How Capable Is the Defendant of Paying?
In some cases, the defendant is completely unable to pay. A homeowner who is responsible for your personal injury, for example, but does not have homeowner’s insurance or any source of income, may not be able to pay for expenses related to your medical care. While this is unfortunate, it does happen sometimes. That’s why it’s so important to talk to your attorney about who’s really responsible for your personal injury and to find out whether you have a case.
Get Help Now
At Phoenix Accident and Injury Law Firm near you, we have more than 15 years of experience helping clients obtain personal injury damage award. When you’re ready to talk, please contact our office to arrange a free initial consultation by phone or at our Chandler office, conveniently located near you.
If you have been in an auto accident, contact Phoenix Accident and Injury Law Firm in nearby Chandler, AZ to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. We provide personal injury legal services to clients in your area including Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe, and Peoria.
