Hospitalization, Lost Income & Pain / suffering
The amount of financial compensation you can receive in a personal injury claim in Rhode Island is based on the value of your damages, losses and injuries. Your skilled RI car accident attorney will seek compensation on your behalf to negotiate an out-of-court settlement or build a solid case to take to trial at providence superior Court. But exactly what type of damages are involved in your personal injury accident in RI and how will your Providence negligence and Tort lawyer determine the value of your claim?
Typical Compensatory Damages in vehicular collisions in Rhode Island
Your North Kingston, Block Island, Newport or Tiverton automobile accident attorney will seek compensatory damages in your personal injury claim as a way to recover the losses caused by the trucking, van or SUV crash. These are the damages, losses and injuries that are known to have been caused directly by the conduct of the defendant or defendants in the case. Common compensatory damages include:
• Hospitalization costs and past, current and future medical expenses
• The cost of rehabilitation, additional surgeries and physical therapies
• The expense of prescription medications including pain relievers
• Recovery of all lost wages due to your inability to work while healing
• The costs of caretaking, housekeeping and in-home healthcare while you recover
• Compensation for any lost irreplaceable item
• Compensation to cover your inability to earn a living in the future due to your injury
• Non-economic losses including funds to cover your pain, suffering, emotional distress and mental anxiety
• Reimbursement for all property damage such as the repair or replacement of your vehicle damaged in the accident
Extraordinary Compensatory Damages in Rhode Island
In some cases, victims and surviving family members of loved ones lost in a personal injury accident can file and seek extraordinary compensatory damages against the defendant in the case. These types of damages are typically unique to a specific claim. Your attorney might file for extraordinary compensatory damages including:
• Funeral Expenses and Burial Costs – These types of damages are paid on a wrongful death lawsuit as reimbursement for handling the remains of the deceased loved one killed as a consequence of the accident.
• Loss of Consortium – In some personal injury claims and wrongful death lawsuits, the spouse of the victim is compensated. This is because the spouse has lost numerous emotional elements of his or her marriage including the loss of sexual relations, comfort and affection by their spouse who has either been injured or killed by the accident.
• Permanent Disfigurement or Disability – Some personal injury accidents in Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls cause devastating permanent disfigurement or disability where the victim requires extensive surgeries or lifelong health care to assist them with their medical, hygiene and household needs.
Punitive Damages and personal injury lawyer
In addition to seeking the compensatory damages listed above, your Rhode Island injury attorney may have the availability to file for punitive damages on your behalf against the defendant or defendants in your case. Seeking punitive damages is an effective tool to punish the individual or entity at fault for your injuries.
However, punitive damages are often limited to specific cases where the defendant’s misconduct involved reckless disregard for your safety and health or malicious intent to cause you harm. The amount of punitive damages you can receive in your case will be determined by a jury on the rare occasion that the judge believes the defendant’s behavior is reprehensible.
Calculating Damages
A skilled RI personal injury attorney working on your behalf will use effective tools to accurately calculate the amount of damages you suffer. The car crash lawyers in RI will use a variety of factors to determine the exact amount including:
• Your age
• The extent and nature of your injuries or injury
• Earning capacity you had before the injury occurred
• The total amount of lost income you have generated and could have generated in the future
• Exactly how your injuries have impacted your lifestyle and enjoyment of life
Once the RI auto accident attorney has built your case for compensation, all necessary paperwork will be filed before the expiration of the statute of limitations. Your skilled Rhode island personal injury lawyer will either present the evidence to the claims adjuster in an out-of-court settlement or present all evidence in front of a judge and jury to seek a trial award.
