If you have been injured due to another person's negligence, then you can find a personal injury lawyer who will help you get the compensation you deserve. The lawyer will sit with you and help you value your case. Basically, valuing your case is calculating how much compensation would be fair for the damages sustained. This process starts by understanding the damages associated with your case, including economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. Read on to find out more about these three aspects.

Economic Damages

Economic damages play a huge role in determining the value of your case. These include things like medical bills, surgery, hospitalization, prescription costs, hospital visits, and ongoing treatment costs. Any other medical expenses are also taken into account. Economic damages also include lost wages. If you have failed to turn up for work as a result of your injury, then you need to include documentation of lost income in your claim. You must also take into account the future lost income. Lastly, the lawyer will also factor any property damage into the claim.

Non-Economic Damages

When valuing your case, a personal injury lawyer will also take into account the proverbial pain and suffering that you experienced as a result of the injuries. The idea is to compensate you for the psychological and emotional toll the injuries have taken on your life. To determine whether or not to demand non-economic damages, the lawyer uses their experience and honest assessment. Some research goes into it as well. While everyone would want to happily walk away with seven figures, the truth is that insurance companies will do everything in their power to pay as little as possible. An experienced lawyer will help you figure out how much money is available to pay for such a claim.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are designed to punish the negligent party. It's important to note that these are only available in specific circumstances. They may not be part of settlement calculations in the majority of cases. Punitive damages are awarded both to deter the at-fault party and others from behavior similar to what was caused by the lawsuit and as a form of punishment to the defendant.

According to the United States Department of Justice, only 4% of personal injury cases go to trial, while the majority are settled out of court. Depending on your case, you may need to go to trial, but this can be discussed with your lawyer. It's important to work with a competent personal injury lawyer so you can receive fair compensation for your injuries. Get in touch with our team at Georgia Injury Attorneys today for assistance.