New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers: Types of Damages Available After an Accident
If you have been hurt in an auto accident, you may have a wide range of losses — you may be unable to work and meet your financial obligations. You may have extensive medical expenses not covered by insurance. You may need long-term rehabilitation or physical therapy, or need to retrofit your home or car to accommodate your injury. What types of damages can you seek to recover after a motor vehicle accident?
The Types of Damages Available
The different types of damages potentially available in a civil suit include:
- Compensatory damages — These types of damages are designed to reimburse a party for actual losses, and customarily include lost wages or income, property damage or loss, and unreimbursed medical expenses, including both actual and anticipated expenses, such as physical therapy or rehabilitation. You can also seek compensatory damages for any expenses you incur to allow you to perform routine functions of daily life. This can include the installation of ramps or the cost of other construction to accommodate a wheelchair. It can also cover the costs of making a vehicle wheelchair or handicapped-accessible. You may be able to obtain disability income from the state, or from a private disability insurance policy.
- General damages — General damages are typically available for losses other than actual financial losses. They may include mental distress or anguish, loss of companionship or consortium, and physical pain and suffering. General damages also cover anticipated loss of earning power.
- Punitive damages — Punitive damages are designed to do just what the name suggests—punish the defendant for wrongful conduct. Punitive damages are extremely unlikely to be awarded in a motor vehicle accident claim, unless the plaintiff can show gross negligence or recklessness such as in an accident caused by a drunken driver who leaves the scene of the accident.
Contact the New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr
At the office of Harold J. Gerr, Attorney at Law, we have fought for the rights of personal injury victims in central New Jersey for more than four decades. We carefully choose the cases we handle, so that we can provide the highest levels of service and personal attention to each client. We are also happy to take over your case, if your first lawyer does not seem to have your best interests in mind.
To set us a free initial consultation, contact us online or call our office at 732-537-8570 (toll free at 1-877-249-4600).
