Posted on Friday, March 27th, 2020 at 5:56 pm
Clients always want to know what their personal injury case is worth after an accident. Compensation is required to help pay for medical bills, cover costs until a person can return to work, and help restart the victim’s life after an accident. In order to understand how much a claim is worth, it helps to know how compensation is calculated in a Georgia personal injury case. At Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C., our team of highly qualified legal experts is here to help you understand what goes into your compensation claim. To schedule a free consultation at one of our offices, call or contact us today.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are also sometimes referred to as special damages and cover all out-of-pocket costs incurred by an accident victim for his or her injuries. This includes all expenses related to medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and the loss of future income and benefits. As part of the medical bills, economic damages cover the costs of ambulance rides, hospitalization, surgeries and procedures, medications, follow up visits, specialist visits, rehabilitation, and transportation costs. It is important to keep all receipts related to anything that has to do with your accident to help calculate the full extent of your economic damages.
Noneconomic Damages
Noneconomic damages are also known as general damages, and this compensates a victim for all other types of harm stemming from the accident that cannot be readily calculated with receipts. Noneconomic damages compensate a victim for pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, disfigurement and scarring, and for the loss of enjoyment of life. In Georgia, there are currently no caps on the amount of noneconomic damages that a person can receive in a personal injury case.
Georgia’s Modified Comparative Fault Rule
It is important to note that Georgia utilizes a modified comparative fault rule for all personal injury cases. This means that the court determines the degree of fault for every party involved in an accident and reduces their overall compensation by that percentage. However, the modified rule further stipulates that if a party is found 50% or more at fault for the accident they are barred from recovering any compensation for their injuries.
For example, if the victim of a car accident suffers $100,000 in damages and is found 10% at fault for the accident the total award would be reduced to $90,000. However, if the same driver was found 60%t at fault for the accident they would be barred from recovering anything. This is why having an experienced personal injury attorney by your side is critical for Georgia personal injury claims.
Call or Contact Our Office Now
If you would like to speak with a highly qualified Georgia personal injury attorney about your case, call or contact Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. today to schedule a free consultation of your case. We promise to zealously advocate for your interests and fight for the compensation you deserve after an accident.