When you are injured and it was caused by the negligence of another party, you may have a legal right to bring forth a personal injury lawsuit against them to collect damages for your losses.

The question we pose today is: What types of damages are available to an injured party in a personal injury case in Connecticut? There are a few types of damages that one can seek. Usually, compensation in a personal injury claim typically pays for expenses including medical costs, lost wages, and/or pain and suffering.

Calculating your damages is an important part of the process, but knowing how to do it can be complex. The guidance of an experienced Connecticut personal injury lawyer may be needed.

Our team at Brandon J. Broderick will go over and explain the categories of damages available in the following article. However, you may need further explanation, so feel free to call us to schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers, and together, we will go over the specifics of your case.

Compensatory Damages

To start, let's define the word "compensate". It means "to offset an error or undesirable effect.” Therefore, compensatory damages are intended to make up for an individual's injury.  Under compensatory damages, there are two categories: economic and non-economic.

Economic

The money paid out of pocket for medical care, lost earnings, property repairs or replacement, and rehabilitation are all covered under economic compensatory damages.

Non-Economic

When non-economic damages are mentioned, this refers to losses not tied to anything monetary. This may include emotional distress, disfigurement, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and both future medical costs and future lost wages.

Punitive Damages

When punitive damages are awarded, it is intended to punish a party for actions that resulted in an injury, either being negligent or purposeful. It is not determined by the severity of the actual injury, but instead intended to deter the defendant or others in similar circumstances from the same type of behavior.

Punitive damages may be appropriate, for instance, if someone deliberately hits a pedestrian with a car or while driving drunk.

Court Costs and Attorney's Fees

If the plaintiff in a Connecticut personal injury case is awarded  a favorable judgment, he or she may also be entitled to seek some of the costs associated with taking the case to court. 

Court expenses would cover filing and process server fees, deposition and court transcript fees, as well as translation fees. Also, in some cases, a plaintiff may also be entitled to reimbursement for their attorney's fees.

Injured and Need Legal Help? Contact Our Connecticut Personal Injury Attorneys

One aspect of a personal injury case is proving damages. These kinds of cases can be sophisticated and may include difficult concepts like determining the other party's legal obligation, accountability, and if other elements should be  considered. If you enlist the services of a lawyer with thorough knowledge of the personal injury system, your case will have the best chance at being successful

For years, the lawyers at Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, have assisted injury parties in obtaining the kinds of damages we laid out above. If you have questions about your own personal injury case in Connecticut and the damages you are entitled to, you can reach out to us to get answers. We pledge to seek any justifiable compensation to which you are eligible.

We operate on a contingency basis, so you only have to pay us if we successfully resolve your case. Call us immediately and we will set up a free consultation with no commitment.