A brain injury can cause permanent mental and physical damage, and assessing the value of a person’s injuries can be difficult. Generally, awards in personal injury cases fall into two categories: compensatory and punitive damages. While compensatory damages pay a victim’s medical bills and income losses, punitive damages are meant to punish a defendant for egregious conduct. Here, potential clients can learn how damages are calculated by a Brain Injury Attorney in De Pere WI.
Determining Economic Damages
Various factors contribute to a number of damages determined by the court. In brain injury cases, the judge may have to consider existing damages, as well as those that are likely to occur in the following years. For instance, lost wages are important, but it’s also vital to demonstrate that a victim has lost earning capacity because of the injury’s long-term emotional, mental and physical effects.
Other Compensatory Damages
Lost income and diminished earning capacity are only two factors at play in the calculation of damages after a brain injury. Some of the most common damages include:
* Medical bills – A brain injury victim not only has to pay for treatment after an injury or accident; they may have ongoing expenses for years after the event.
* Pain and suffering – When a person gets damages for his/her pain and suffering, they recover for past and current physical and mental anguish arising from a brain injury.
* Diminished quality of life – These are sometimes combined with pain and suffering damages, and they are also referred to as hedonic damages or loss of enjoyment. This type of damages compensates plaintiffs for a decline in their quality of life after an injury.
Every case is unique, which is why victims and their families should consult a Brain Injury Attorney in De Pere WI to learn how to seek compensation.
While some brain injuries have relatively minor effects, others leave victims permanently disabled. When an injury has left a person unable to work or enjoy a normal life, they may not know where to turn for help. However, an attorney with the Brabazon Law Office LLC can provide legal advocacy and case-specific advice.
