Personal Injury Lawyer | What If I Win?

After the conclusion of any case involving personal injury, whether the outcome is a ruling in your favor in court or a settlement, you can expect to be awarded damages. There are two categories of damages: general and special. There are two subcategories: compensatory and punitive.

General damages include everything to which an exact number cannot be assigned. For example, pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, disfigurement, and other such subjective topics fall into this category. Special damages are the ones with set dollar figures, such as medical costs, lost wages, and the like. In either case, compensatory damages simply reimburse you for what you lost. Punitive damages usually involve much higher amounts than compensatory damages and, as their name implies, are designed to punish the liable party.

Things to Remember

If you have a health insurance provider that has paid for any of your medical bills prior to your settlement or jury award, that provider may be entitled to recoup its costs from your settlement. If you proceed to trial instead of accepting a settlement from an insurance company, you might have problems collecting any awarded damages if the liable party has very few assets. You might also have to pay taxes on at least some of any damages that you are awarded. Personal injury lawyers must also be paid for their time and efforts on your behalf. In many cases, this is a 33-percent portion of any damages you receive, which is an industry standard.

In all cases, your personal injury lawyer will advise you on the best courses of action during your case and will explain your options regarding payment. Remember, every case is different; no one solution is right for everyone. To figure out your best options and get the advice you need regarding your personal injury case, call us at Clekis Law today.