The last thing anyone wants to think about after they are injured is how they are going to pay for all expenses associated with their injury. Despite the overwhelming concerns that come with personal injury, recovery of damages should not be one of those concerns.
Under Florida law,1 individuals who are injured as a result of the negligence of others are most often entitled to recover damages. Negligence occurs when someone deviates from a standard of care owed to another and when a victim is injured as a result of this deviation. Whenever this occurs, the injured party is usually able to recover damages.
These damages are imperative as they are designed to help alleviate financial concerns associated with the victim’s expenses resulting from the injury. Some examples of those expenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
Economic Damages
Economic damages are designed to directly compensate for those real expenses which the victim has injured. These encompass a variety of different damages including:
Medical Expenses – An individual’s most easily calculable expenses are those medical expenses incurred as a result of their injuries. These costs include hospital bills, expenses for ambulance transportation, and expenses for doctor’s appointments, among other things. It is important to remember that the cost of medical expenses may also include those expenses required to treat the injury in the future.
Loss of Income – Individuals who suffer personal injury are often unable to return to work or are, perhaps, severely limited in their ability to work. As a result, the injured party may be unable to earn the income they need – this is especially true for those individuals who are a paid on an hourly basis and do not have benefits such as paid time off or short-term disability. Florida law allows for injured parties to recover for income lost as a result of personal injury.
Non-Economic Damages
Not all recoverable damages include those that are easily calculable. In fact, a court or jury may find that the victim’s injuries merit recovery beyond those incurred expenses, including:
Pain and Suffering – Individuals may be entitled to recover damages for disability, physical impairment, and/or disfigurement that occurs as a result of another’s negligence. While there is no measurable standard for calculating pain and suffering damages, Florida law does allow recovery for the estimated value of such losses.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life – Floridians may be able to recover damages for a loss of enjoyment of life. This means that they may recover damages for those injuries that create an inconvenience or altogether keep an individual from enjoying certain regular aspects of life.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are an extra set of damages that may be available under the law.2 The purpose of punitive damages is to serve as a deterrent against particularly egregious negligence or wrongdoing. While these are not mandatory damages, they can add significant value to an individual’s personal injury case.
Call a St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorney Today for a Free Consultation
You may be entitled to recover damages if you were the victim of a personal injury. You should seek the advice and counsel of an experienced personal injury attorney in order to maximize your recovery. The skilled and knowledgeable team at Berkowitz & Myer will zealously represent you to ensure you receive the amount you deserve. Call 727-344-0123 and schedule your consultation today.
