Damages in a Personal Injury Claim

A serious personal injury can be devastating in its effects on your family emotionally, physically, and financially. When a serious personal injury is the result of someone else's carelessness or negligence it can make matters even worse.

You may be asking yourself questions like, "Why did this happen?" or "How could someone have been so reckless?" Unfortunately these are questions that may never be answered to your satisfaction. You may not receive an apology but you may be entitled to compensation for your damages under the law. Under common law, damages are monetary compensation that you may recover from a party who has been found to be responsible for your personal injury.

As you progress in your personal injury claim you may hear your lawyer mention two types of damages. The two type of damages which may be imposed by the court are compensatory and punitive.

Compensatory Damages

Compensatory damages refer to actual measurable losses that have a direct financial impact. These include: medical and hospital bills as well as lost earnings and future lost earning capacity due to permanent injuries that may impact the ability of the injured person to work in his or her chosen vocation.

Punitive Damages

In personal injury cases punitive damages award against the liable party for the purpose of punishing him or her for the behavior or conduct that resulted in the injury. It is not required that the conduct was determined to have been intentional but rather simply because it was irresponsible.

This should give you a better understanding of the damages involved in a personal injury case. Your personal injury attorney can answer your detailed questions and help you determine what your damages are as well as your chances and potential for recovery.

<< Blog Home << Previous Page << Home

The personal injury lawyers at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC are a small, three-lawyer, firm with the ability to hire the experts and investigators that a case needs. We only accept cases with merit that we believe we can win. Click our areas of practice to read a more detailed description of the types of cases we accept and some sample verdicts and settlements.

IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BY THE FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE OF ANOTHER, YOU NEED COMPETENT LEGAL COUNSEL TO ASSIST YOU IN GETTING JUST COMPENSATION FOR YOUR CLAIM.

CALL PAULSON COLETTI TRIAL ATTORNEYS TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION
(503) 226-6361

Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC
1000 SW Broadway
Suite 1660
Portland, Oregon 97205
Telephone (503) 226-6361
Fax (503) 226-6276

* The firm has received the highest rating "AV" by Martindale-Hubbel. The "AV" rating indicates very high to preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards as established by confidential opinions from members of the State Bar.

Disclaimer: The personal injury, medical malpractice, dental negligence, birth injury, traumatic brain injury, negligence, wrongful death, product liability, accident or other legal information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice, nor the formation of a lawyer or attorney-client relationship. Any results set forth here were dependent on the facts of that particular case and the results will differ from case to case. Please contact a medical malpractice lawyer or personal injury attorney at our office in Portland, Oregon. This web site is not intended to solicit clients for matters outside of the States of Oregon or Washington and may be considered advertising by the Oregon State Bar Rules.