4 Types of Damages in Your Tennessee Personal Injury Lawsuit
Know the damages you could be awarded, as well as any limits on the award amount.
If you’re the victim of an accident, you know all too well about the financial repercussions, from medical bills to lost wages and other financial setbacks.
Once you’ve filed a personal injury lawsuit in Tennessee, the next thing you’ll want to know is what you could be compensated for and what your compensation could be, should you be awarded damages.
Damages is the amount of money that the law imposes for wrongdoing on the part of the defendant. We’ve listed 4 types of damages you could be awarded in your personal injury lawsuit.
1. Economic damages
Economic damages is compensation you receive due to the loss of money because of an accident. Put another way, if the damages can be quantified, they’re considered economic damages. They include:
- Employment income that was lost (current and future)
- Medical bills
- Housing costs
- Personal property that was damaged
- Value of a spouse’s household services
- Costs associated with plans that may have been changed or canceled
2. Non-economic damages
Non-economic damages, also known as “general damages,” is for losses that can’t be easily quantified. Though not easily calculated, these damages are just as real and debilitating to an accident victim’s life. Non-economic damages can include:
- Emotional anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
3. Punitive damages
One could say punitive damages is meant to send a message and let wrongdoers—and others out there who are or are thinking of engaging in wrongdoing—know that their behavior is not tolerated. Punitive damages exceed regular compensation and are levied solely to punish the defendant.
While punitive damages are possible in most personal injury cases, they are rarely awarded and require a substantial burden of proof.
4. Wrongful death damages
Wrongful death damages is compensation given when someone dies due to the defendant’s negligence or intentional actions. Examples of wrongful death damages include:
- Costs of medical treatment of the injuries that resulted in death
- Funeral costs
- Conscious pain and suffering from the date of the injury until date of death
- Cost of lost wages between the date of injury and death
- Loss of consortium and companionship between the date of injury and death
- Pecuniary value
Do personal injury damages have limits?
Yes, there are limits on non-economic and punitive damages. For non-economic catastrophic damages, the limits are even higher. The damage caps are as follows:
- For non-economic damages, the cap is $750,000 per person.
- For non-economic damages due to catastrophic injuries, the cap is $1 million per person. (Wrongful death damages fall into this category.)
- For punitive damages, the cap is $500,000 or twice the compensatory damages, whichever is greater.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, it’s important that you have a team of experienced and knowledgeable attorneys on your side. Our experienced Tennessee personal injury lawyers are willing to fight for you and make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
