What types of damages can I recover in a personal injury claim in Boonville, Missouri?
When an individual in Boonville, Missouri has been injured due to the negligence of another, they may be entitled to compensation for their damages. In a personal injury claim, the claimant can seek to recover economic and non-economic damages that have been incurred from the incident. Economic damages are designed to compensate the injured person for actual financial losses resulting from the accident. Non-economic damages are intended to provide compensation for intangible losses such as pain and suffering.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are intended to compensate an injured person for any financial losses they have incurred due to their injuries. These types of damages are typically more easily quantifiable than non-economic damages and include medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage.
Medical Expenses: Medical expenses are one of the most common types of economic damages sought in a personal injury claim. These can include costs for hospitalization, surgery, prescription medications, rehabilitation therapy, and any other medical treatments you have received as a result of your injuries.
Lost Wages: If your injuries have prevented you from working or caused you to miss work due to doctor’s appointments or other medical treatment, you may be eligible for lost wages. This type of damage can cover both past wages that have already been lost as well as future wages that you would have earned had the accident not occurred.
Property Damage: If your personal property was damaged as a result of the accident, you can seek reimbursement for the cost of repairs or replacement of your items. This type of damage applies to things like your vehicle or other personal items that were damaged in the accident.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are intended to provide compensation for intangible losses such as pain and suffering resulting from an injury. These types of damages are more subjective in nature and can be difficult to quantify but may be awarded if it is determined that your injuries warrant them.
Pain and Suffering: Pain and suffering is one of the most common types of non-economic damages sought in a personal injury claim. This type of damage is intended to provide compensation for physical pain, mental anguish, emotional distress, and any other forms of suffering that can be attributed to the injury.
Loss of Enjoyment: Loss of enjoyment is another type of non-economic damage that can be sought in a personal injury claim. This type of damage is designed to compensate an individual for any loss in quality or enjoyment of life resulting from their injuries. For example, if someone was unable to participate in activities they once enjoyed due to their injuries then they may be eligible for this type of damage.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are a less common form of compensation but may be awarded if it is determined that the defendant’s actions were especially egregious or malicious in nature. This type of damage is not meant to compensate an injured person but rather is intended to punish the defendant and serve as a deterrent against similar behavior in the future. Punitive damages are usually awarded only when there is clear evidence showing that the defendant acted with blatant disregard for the safety or rights of others.
In conclusion, when an individual has been injured due to someone else’s negligence in Boonville, Missouri they may be entitled to compensation for their losses through a personal injury claim. Economic damages are designed to cover actual financial losses such as medical expenses and lost wages while non-economic damages are intended to provide compensation for intangible losses such as pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment resulting from an injury. Additionally, punitive damages may also be awarded if it is determined that the defendant’s actions were especially egregious or malicious in nature.