Accidents happen on a daily basis. Cars crash, people fall, and as a result, injuries happen. While many of these accidents occur due to the victims' own negligence, sometimes they are caused by other, outside parties. In these cases, the victims may be entitled to claim what is known as "damages" from the responsible party. Essentially, this means that they are allowed to claim monetary compensation to make up for their financial losses, physical pain, and emotional suffering.

Damages are divided into different categories, depending on the purposes they serve. Personal injury victims typically may be able to recover compensatory damages and/or punitive damages. The families or personal injury victims may also be able to recover damages (most commonly, in wrongful death cases).

Compensatory Damages

Compensatory damages serve the specific purpose of reimbursing the victim for all monetary and non-monetary losses he or she may have suffered. Sometimes, they are known as "actual" damages because they serve the purpose of righting all actual harm done - physically, emotionally, and financially. Specifically, they serve to reimburse all of the following losses:

• Medical bills, therapy expenses
• Any extra costs accrued by living with a new disability, caused by the accident
• Lost wages suffered during treatment and recover time, or because of the injury itself (loss of working capabilities)
• Repairs to or replacements of any damaged property
• Funeral costs
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of companionship or important relations

Either personal injury victims or their immediate family members may be able to make a claim for these damages.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages differ from compensatory damages in that they do not serve to reimburse the victim for any losses he or she may have suffered. Instead, this form of compensation acts to reform the party at fault so that he or she does not take the same, dangerous course of action in the future. Typically, this form of compensation is only awarded when the offender has acted in a particularly offensive manner. Therefore, punitive damages are not awarded in every successful personal injury case.

Contact Us

If you or someone you love has been injured in a personal injury case, then you may have the right to recover compensation. The St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys of Beltz & Ruth, P.A. can help you assess your situation and determine what damages you deserve to receive. To learn more, please visit http://www.personal-injuries-attorneys.com/ today.