The Losses You Can Potentially Recover after Someone Else’s Negligence
When the careless or wrongful act of another person causes you injury or loss, you have the right to file a civil lawsuit to recover damages. Whether it’s a motor vehicle accident, a slip and fall, a workplace injury or the malfunction of a dangerous or defective product, you can ask a judge and jury to reimburse you for tangible losses and to compensate you for certain intangible injury. Let’s look at the potential damage you can seek in a personal injury claim.
Lost Wages or Income
You have a right to be reimbursed by the at-fault party for any hourly wage, salary or other form of compensation you could not earn because of your injuries. The jury will typically look at your most recent pay records to determine the full amount of your losses. If your injury prevents you from ever working again, you will typically be entitled to reimbursement of wages until normal retirement.
Unreimbursed Medical Expenses
You cannot recover for any medical bills covered by insurance or otherwise paid, but you can pursue reimbursement of past medical expenses, as well as compensation for anticipated future medical bills.
Pain and Suffering
This includes physical and emotional distress. Because of the difficulty of measuring these damages, many courts simply using a multiplier, taking the amount of tangible losses and multiplying by that factor (Usually between 1 and 10).
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
This compensates you for loss of the ability to engage in activities that were common before your accident. It also allows you to recover damages for your inability to engage in simple acts of daily life, such as dressing yourself, walking or grooming.
Loss of Companionship or Consortium
If your accident has made it difficult or impossible to have close and/or intimate relationships with others, you have a right to compensation for that loss.
Property Damage
You have a right to be reimbursed for the reduction in value of any property or asset as a result of the accident, including the full value of any property destroyed or rendered worthless by the accident.
Contact the Cintron Firm
At the Cintron Firm, LLC, we offer more than 14 years of experience to people in New Jersey facing a broad array of legal challenges. Attorney Mark Cintron has worked as a prosecutor and has extensive courtroom experience, so he’s always ready, willing and able to protect your interests before a judge or jury. Contact our office online or call us at 201-791-1333 or (201) 535-0323 to set up an appointment.