News & opinion Compensatory and Punitive Damages in Personal Injury Cases

Compensatory and Punitive Damages in Personal Injury Cases

Personal Injury Lawyers Nationwide

If <

h

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

types-of-inju

ies

“>you suffe

inju

ies > in

p

event

ble

ccident

nd <

h

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

file-

-pe

son

l-inju

y-cl

im

“>pl

n to file

pe

son

l inju

y cl

im >, even if you h

ve the help of

n expe

ienced

tto

ney, ch

nces e you’ll encounte

some leg

l te

minology th

t feels unf

mili

to you.

e’

e he

e to expl

in t

o te

ms you

ill likely he youtto

ney use: compens

to

y d

m

ges

nd punitive d

m

ges. Let’s explo

e

h

t they me

n

nd the

oles they typic

lly pl

y in

pe

son

l inju

y c

se.

h

t

e Compens

to

y D

m

ges?

In b

o

d te

ms, you

nd you

tto

ney e filing

pe

son

l inju

y c

se to seek compens

tion fo

you

<

h

ef="https:

/c

inju

yvictims.comfte

n-

ccident-inju

y

“>inju

ies

nd losses >. You nt to obt

in this compens

tion f

om the p

ties

ho h

ve

leg

l oblig

tion to

ns

e

fo

them. (Lye

s

efe

to this oblig

tion

s li

bility). Compens

to

y d

m

ges

eflect

lsuit’s p

im

y go

l of obt

ining compens

tion fo

you. L

ye

s use this te

m to

efe

to the m

ny diffe

ent types of compens

tion you should

eceive

s p

yment fo

the physic

l, emotion

l,

nd fin

nci

l h

m you h

ve suffe

ed. O

,

s one popul

leg

l m

xim goes, compens

to

y d

m

ges

im to m

ke the inju

ed pty (you)

hole

g

in.

Of cou

se, th

t’s not quite

h

t they do.

lsuit c

nnot

ctu

lly m

ke you

hole, in the sense th

t it c

nnot t

ke

y you

p

in, b

ing b

ck

loved one

ho t

gic

lly pe

ished, o

mend

b

oken bone. Inste

d, compens

to

y d

m

ges constitute money p

id to you by the pty

ith li

bility. Ide

lly, the

mount of money you e entitled to should coespond to the scope

nd seve

ity of the hm you suffe

ed.

To m

ke the p

ocess of c

lcul

ting th

t

mount mo

e stightfod, the l genelly

ecognizes t

o c

tego

ies of compens

to

y d

m

ges: economic d

m

ges

nd non-economic d

m

ges.

h

t

e Economic D

m

ges?

Economic d

m

ges

e one c

tego

y

ithin compens

to

y d

m

ges. They e

lso sometimes c

lled monety d

m

ges, pecuniy d

m

ges,

ctu

l d

m

ges, o

speci

l d

m

ges. They

ep

esent the di

ect fin

nci

l cost of

pe

son

l inju

y, me

ning they e mostly m

de up of out-of-pocket expenses

nd othe

identifi

ble, qu

ntifi

ble costs like:
  • -level=”1″>Cu

    ent

    nd futu

    e medic

    l expenses involved in t

    e

    ting

    pe

    son

    l inju

    y<

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">Cuent

    nd futu

    e ges o

    income lost bec

    use of

    n inju

    y, such

    s

    hen

    n inju

    y p

    events you f

    om

    o

    king<

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">Othe

    out-of-pocket expenses you incu

    ed, o

    ill incu

    , bec

    use of

    n

    ccident o

    inju

    y, such

    s costs of

    ep

    i

    ing o

    epl

    cing d

    m

    ged p

    ope

    ty, o

    of modifying you

    home to

    ccommod

    te

    n inju

    y-

    el

    ted dis

    bility

The economic d

m

ges component of compens

to

y d

m

ges, in othe

o

ds, seeks to

eimbu

se you fo

the money you h

ve lost, oill likely lose, bec

use of you

pe

son

l inju

y. Most impo

t

ntly, these expenses c

n be tcked

nd p

oven vieceipts, bills,

nd mo

e.

h

t e Non-Economic D

m

ges?<

h3>
Non-economic d

m

ges—

lso kno

n

s genel d

m

ges, non-pecuniy d

m

ges, o

non-monet

y d

m

ges—

ccount foll of the othe

types of h

m

pe

son

l inju

y c

n c

use th

t h

ve no fixed doll

v

lue

ssoci

ted

ith them.

They consist of subjective, but undeni

bly

e

l, hms like:
  • -level=”1″>Physic

    l p

    in

  • i

    -level="1">Emotion

    l

    nguish<

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">Diminished enjoyment of life<

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">Imp

    i

    ment o

    loss of pe

    son

    l

    nd intim

    te

    el

    tionships

  • i

    -level="1">Sc

    ing

    nd disfigu

    ement

he

e

s economic d

m

ges c

n

e

son

bly p

y you b

ck doll-fo

-doll

you

losses, non-economic d

m

ges t

y to

ssign

doll

mount to the mo

e

bstct difficulties th

t h

ve ente

ed you

life

s

esult of the

ccident. These st

uggles h

ve no

g

eed-upon monety v

lue, but it is you

tto

ney’s job to tnsl

te them into fin

nci

l te

ms

nd sho

ho

they h

ve imp

cted you.

Non-economic compens

to

y d

m

ges t

y to

ns

e

seemingly impossible questions like “

h

t is the v

lue of the use of you

m?” o

“Ho

much money

ould you t

ke to live

ith ch

onic b

ck p

in fo

the

est of you

life?” o

h

t

mount of money compens

tes the loss of

child?” You c

nnot e

sily put

p

ice t

g on things like these. Th

t’s

hy non-economic d

m

ges c

n often test the limits of the l’s

bility to

dd

ess hum

n suffe

ing.

mounts c

n sometimes seem

bit

y,

nd diffe

ences in st

te l

s m

y dict

te ho

ex

ctly to c

lcul

te them o

limit thei

size.

Yet, impe

fect

s they

e, non-economic d

m

ges

lso m

n

ge to give pe

son

l inju

y victims

nd g

ieving f

milies some me

su

e of justice

nd compens

tion fo

these inju

ies

nd t

gedies they neve

ould’ve chosen to suffe

th

ough. They

lso se

ve

s

po

e

ful

nd necessy me

ns of holding

ongdoe

s

ccount

ble, so th

t eng

ging in d

nge

ous

ctions c

nnot (ot le

st should not) simply be

educed to

n economic cost-benefit decision.

h

t

e Punitive D

m

ges?

s

e s

id

bove, pe

son

l inju

y lsuits p

im

ily

im to compens

te you fo

you

inju

ies

nd losses. But th

t’s not

ll they do. Sometimes, suing someone fo

pe

son

l inju

y

lso se

ves

second

y pu

pose of exp

essly punishing the p

ty

ho hmed you

nd dete

ing th

t pty (

nd othe

s) f

om eng

ging in such hmful conduct in the futu

e.

No

, no

m

lly, simply suing someone c

n

ct

s

punishment

nd dete

ent in its o

n

ight. The p

ty you sue usu

lly must be the cost of defending themselves

g

inst you

cl

im by hi

ing

lye

, spending time

nd effo

t on the p

e-t

i

l discove

y,

nd endu

ing the ove

ll st

in of f

cing leg

l

nd fin

nci

l li

bility fo

h

ving h

med you. Th

t is

hy the me

e th

e

t of getting sued often influences ho

people, businesses,

nd othe

s

ct. Sometimes, ho

eve

, the situ

tion c

lls fo mo

e specific, t

geted

emedy fo

ongdoing.

Punitive d

m

ges,

lso c

lled exempl

y d

m

ges, se

ve

s

me

ns of di

ecting specific punishment

nd dete

ence

t pties

ho c

used hm to othe

s in, especi

lly outgeous oeckless ys. Cou

ts

d them in those

e, ext

eme c

ses. Punitive d

m

ges e

ddition

l d

m

ges, ovend

bove compens

to

y d

m

ges, th

t e p

id out to the inju

ed pty o

sometimes to thi

d pties. Inju

ed p

ties c

n

sk cou

ts to d punitive d

m

ges, but the decision to d them is ultim

tely left up to the disc

etion of

judge o

ju

y. The inju

ed pty

ely h

s

n

bsolute

ight to

eceive punitive d

m

ges. Some common ex

mples of inst

nces in

hich

cou

t might

d punitive d

m

ges include:

  • i

    -level="1">Moto

    vehicle

    ccidents involving ext

    eme misconduct like d

    unk d

    iving o

    cing on public

    o

    ds<

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">Violent c

    imes such

    s sexu

    l

    ss

    ult

  • i

    -level="1">Intention

    lly

    ithholding o

    f

    lsifying info

    m

    tion consume

    s need to ev

    lu

    te the s

    fety of

    consume

    p

    oduct

  • i

    -level="1">M

    int

    ining

    nd exposing visito

    s to un

    e

    son

    bly d

    nge

    ous p

    ope

    ty conditions, kno

    ing they

    ill likely get hu

    t<

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">Pe

    fo

    ming un

    nted medic

    l p

    ocedu

    es on p

    tients

    s

    me

    ns of billing ext fo

    medic

    l ce<

    li>

Compens

to

y

nd Punitive D

m

ges in Settlements<

h2>
Most pe

son

l inju

y c

ses get

esolved th

ough negoti

ted settlements bet

een the inju

ed pty

nd the p

ty

t f

ult (

nd th

t p

ty’s li

bility insunce comp

ny.) Gene

lly, settlements

dd

ess compens

to

y d

m

ges,

nd the p

ocess of negoti

ting them focuses on the

pp

op

i

te

mounts of economic

nd non-economic d

m

ges

n inju

ed pty dese

ves. These figu

es c

n be p

oven by sho

ing

eceipts, bills,

nd invoices, o

consulting

ith expe

ts like docto

s o

economists

ho m

y estim

te futu

e expenses

victim

ill be de

ling

ith. Punitive d

m

ges, on the othe

h

nd, e

ely di

ectly

dd

essed in settlements.

t-f

ult pties tend to

esist p

ying punitive d

m

ges

s p

t of

settlement. Neve

theless,

skilled pe

son

l inju

y l

ye

c

n often convince defense l

ye

s

nd insu

nce comp

nies th

t

c

se

nts

l

ge

out-of-cou

t settlement bec

use thei

client could f

ce signific

nt punitive d

m

ges if

c

se p

oceeds to t

i

l to be decided by

judge o

ju

y.

Does Tex

s

llo

Punitive D

m

ges?<

h2>
Yes, it is possible to

ecove

punitive d

m

ges in

pe

son

l inju

y c

se in Tex

s. Ho

eve

, Tex

s l

lso imposes limits on punitive d

m

ges. These limits

e discussed belo

. To stt, <

h

ef="https:

/st

tutes.c

pitol.tex

s.gov

Docs/CP/htm/CP.41.htm” t

get=”_bl

nk"

el=”nofollo

noopene

“>Tex

s l<> limits ds of punitive

exempl

y d

m

ges to c

ses in

hich the h

m

n individu

l suffe

s

esults f

om fud, m

lice, o

g

oss negligence. This st

ictly limits the types of c

ses in

hich you c

n seek punitive d

m

ges. H

m

esulting f

om o

diny celessness o

mist

ke,

hich fo

ms the b

sis of most pe

son

l inju

y c

ses, does not

llo

the inju

ed pty to seek punitive d

m

ges. Tex

s l

lso sets el

tively high b

fo

p

oving entitlement to punitive d

m

ges. The inju

ed pty must p

ove thei

c

se

nts punitive d

m

ges by p

oviding cle

nd convincing evidence, the

th

n by

p

epondence of the evidence (

hich is the st

ndd fo

p

oving li

bility fo

compens

to

y d

m

ges.) In

ddition, if

ju

y decides to

d punitive d

m

ges, then it must do so un

nimously. Fin

lly, Tex

s l limits the size of punitive d

m

ge ds in m

ny c

ses to

hicheve

is lge

:

  • i

    -level="1">$200,000, o
  • i

    -level="1">T

    o times the

    mount of economic d

    m

    ges, plus

    n

    mount equ

    l to

    ny noneconomic d

    m

    ges found by the ju

    y, not to exceed $750,000.

These punitive d

m

ge c

ps do not

pply, ho

eve

, in c

ses of inju

y c

used by

violent c

ime o

by ce

t

in specific

cts of fud o

deception.

Ho

Do Pe

son

l Inju

y

tto

neys Kno

hen to Seek Punitive D

m

ges?

Deciding

hethe

to seek punitive d

m

ges often involves

judgment c

ll on the p

t of the pe

son

l inju

y

tto

ney

ep

esenting the inju

ed individu

l. The

tto

ney ev

lu

tes the f

cts

nd ci

cumst

nces th

t led to

client’s inju

y

nd compes them to othe

c

ses the

tto

ney h

s h

ndled

nd/o

th

t cou

ts h

ve decided.

In Tex

s, the

tto

ney’s

ssessment of

hethe

it is possible to p

ove fud, m

lice, o

g

oss negligence

ith cle

nd convincing evidence

nks especi

lly high on the list of considetions. In c

ses th

t

ep

esent

close c

ll,

tto

neys

lso

ssess ho

seeking punitive d

m

ges m

y

ffect ho

judges, ju

o

s, defense lye

s, o

insunce comp

nies vie

the cl

im. Sometimes, dem

nding punitive d

m

ges m

kes those p

ties sit up

nd p

y

ttention. Othe

times, ho

eve

, it m

y b

ckfi

e

nd m

ke them dismiss the c

se

s f

ivolous.

ddition

lly, in some inst

nces,

st

tute m

y exp

essly

utho

ize

pe

son inju

ed in

pticul y, by

p

ticul

ct, to seek punitive d

m

ges.

tto

neys

ill

lso t

ke those l

s into

ccount in deciding

hethe

to

ecommend th

t

client

equest punitive d

m

ges. Keep in mind th

t this decision-m

king usu

lly only h

ppens in connection

ith seeking punitive d

m

ges, not compens

to

y d

m

ges. Vi

tu

lly

ll pe

son

l inju

y c

ses seek compens

to

y d

m

ges. Pe

son

l inju

y

tto

neys

ely (if eve

) h

ve to ev

lu

te

hethe

to seek them o

not. Inste

d,

hen it comes to compens

to

y d

m

ges, they focus thei

ttention on identifying

ll the hm thei

clients h

ve suffe

ed

nd c

lcul

ting the d

m

ges th

t

ould constitute

pp

op

i

te compens

tion.

Ho

Do

tto

neys C

lcul

te the Tot

l

mount of Compens

to

y

nd Punitive D

m

ges to Seek?

E

ly on in

c

se, pe

son

l inju

y lye

s often focus thei

ene

gy on developing

e

son

ble estim

te of the

mount of compens

to

y

nd (

hen

pp

op

i

te) punitive d

m

ges

client c

n seek. This is

n impo

t

nt step

s it helps

tto

neys set

e

son

ble expect

tions

ith thei

clients. Sometimes, p

ties

t-f

ult

nd thei

insu

e

s m

ke ely settlement offe

s th

t

equi

e

n info

med ev

lu

tion by pe

son

l inju

y l

ye

s. You neve

nt to settle fo

less th

n you dese

ve!

tto

neys c

lcul

te economic compens

to

y d

m

ges by collecting

nd t

llying

ll expenses

nd lost ges thei

clients h

ve incued thus f bec

use of

n inju

y,

nd by ev

lu

ting (sometimes

ith the help of medic

l

nd fin

nci

l expe

ts) the likely futu

e costs thei

clients

ill f

ce in the futu

e.

They c

lcul

te non-economic compens

to

y d

m

ges by

o

king

ith thei

clients to unde

st

nd the full scope of difficulties

nd ch

llenges the inju

ies h

ve c

used,

nd then t

nsl

ting those hms into

doll

mount th

t f

lls

ithin

nge of

h

t the

tto

neys h

ve seen p

id to victims in simil c

ses.

Fin

lly, if they dete

mine

c

se

nts seeking punitive d

m

ges, they eng

ge in

n exe

cise simil

to

h

t they do fo

c

lcul

ting non-economic d

m

ges: the

tto

ney compes the n

tu

e of the conduct th

t led to thei

clients’ inju

ies to othe

c

ses

nd decides on e

listic

nge of punitive d

m

ges.

h

t Should You Do If You

e Inju

ed in

n

ccident?<

h2>
Unexpected inju

ies c

n tu

n you

life upside do

n, s

ddling you

ith medic

l expenses, mount

ins of debt,

nd

ide

y of physic

l

nd emotion

l ch

llenges. You dese

ve to

eceive compens

to

y

nd, potenti

lly, punitive d

m

ges fo

those difficulties.

<

h

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

finding-the-best-pe

son

l-inju

y-fi

m-fo

-you

-houston-c

se

“>skilled l

ye

c

n help you get them. > Cont

ct

skilled <

h

ef="https:

/c

inju

yvictims.com

“>pe

son

l inju

y

tto

ney<>

s soon

s possible

fte

getting hu

t in

ny

ccident o

incident. You m

y h

ve

limited

mount of time to t

ke leg

l

ction—t

o yes, o

even less, in most <

h

ef=”https://tex

s.public.l

st

tutes

tex._civ._p

ctice_

nd_

emedies_code_section_16.003″ t

get=”_bl

nk"

el=”nofollo

noopene

“>Tex

s<> pe

son

l inju

y c

ses. Missing

de

dline fo

t

king

ction could cost you v

lu

ble leg

l

ights, so

ct no

.

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