When you are involved in an accident, you need to have a Nashville car accident injury lawyer on your side who can help you get the compensation you deserve. Your medical bills alone can turn out to be more than most insurance companies are willing to pay for. On top of that, lost wages and family obligations can make for an overwhelming situation.
Having the right attorney will ensure protection of all of your rights and the full coverage of your medical expenses. But what about your financial obligations and the needs of your family? How will you take care of them if you can’t go back to work right away? Knowing the difference between compensatory damages and punitive damages may provide you with a few of the answers you are looking for.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages involve monies received that aim to compensate for the loss of tangible property or medical claims. These damages usually intend to cover:
- Medical treatment (both short term and long term)
- Loss of wages due to recovery periods and medical treatment
There are also non-tangible items that you can receive compensation for. These can include pain and suffering and emotional distress. Severe injuries can result in long-term, chronic pain and emotional distress. These may make it difficult to concentrate or perform your job.
While tangible damages are more easily determined, the compensation for emotional distress and pain and suffering are much harder to calculate. It’s not easy to put a number on feelings and emotions, or how long someone will be in pain and to what degree they are suffering. This is where your attorney will be able to help you get what you need so that your life can return to some form of normal.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages can result when the at-fault party shows little or no regard or concern for the health and safety of others. To put it simply, they showed very little remorse for their actions. They had no concern for the well-being of those affected by their product or actions. A judge usually awards punitive damages as a way to punish the party at fault further.
While it may be easy to determine who is at fault, it may be much more difficult to determine their intent. In order to collect punitive damages, a Nashville car accident injury lawyer must prove to a judge without any doubt that the at-fault party was grossly negligent and intentionally careless in terms of their actions. If your attorney can prove this, it is up to the judge to determine just how much damage resulted and assign a monetary value to it.
Nashville Car Accident Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been in a car accident or any other type of accident, you need to contact a Nashville car accident injury lawyer. We can help you pursue the type of damages you deserve. Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys serve the Nashville area and are familiar with Tennessee’s personal injury laws. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 615-333-8888. We offer 24-hour availability by phone. Or you can visit our office during normal business hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
There is also a convenient LiveChat feature for your use on our website. Best of all, we don’t ask you for payments unless we win your case. Our team knows the law. We will work diligently to protect your rights, win your case, and get you the compensation you need to rebuild your life. So don’t hesitate. Reach out to us today!