Canton, GA Personal Injury Lawyer
After an accident, you might be hit with various costs in addition to complications from injuries. It can be very hard to get your life back to normal, but you should not have to suffer because of someone else’s negligence. An attorney can help you file a personal injury case against the person who injured you so you get fair compensation.
Damages in a personal injury case may include various costs, injuries, losses, and experiences. Keep a thorough record of the money you spend because of the accident. Medical bills and the cost of replacing damaged property can be significant, and you deserve compensation for pain and suffering, too. Damages often depend on the nature of the accident. You might be hurt while visiting an amusement park, suffer a traumatic injury like a brain injury, or sue on behalf of a deceased loved one’s wrongful death. Your attorney can help you begin your case, find evidence, and develop effective legal strategies to hopefully get you the compensation you need and deserve.
Receive an initial case evaluation for free from our personal injury attorneys at Rice, Murtha & Psoras when you call (470) 287-3070.
Possible Damages in a Canton Personal Injury Case
Damages represent the negative consequences of the accident caused by the defendant. These consequences may be measured in how much money they cost you or the overall impact they had on your life. Some damages are easy to assess while others are more subjective and open to interpretation. Still, other damages might be awarded just to punish the defendant, although these damages are less common.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages exist in many, if not most, personal injury cases and are awarded to make up for what the plaintiff lost. The goal of compensatory damages is to return the plaintiff to the financial position they were in before they were injured.
Non-economic damages are based on experiences rather than money but may still warrant compensation. Psychological injuries, emotional turmoil, physical pain, and the overall impact on your quality and enjoyment of life may be used to determine the value of non-economic damages. Our personal injury lawyers can use the evidence in your case to prove to a jury just how deeply your injuries have affected you.
Economic damages are a bit more concrete as they are based on actual sums of money. For example, medical bills and the cost of repairing or replacing damaged property are often quite significant. If you cannot go back to work for a while because of your injuries, you should also claim lost wages.
Punitive Damages
In rare cases, the court may award punitive damages. These damages are not meant to compensate for any losses you might have endured. Instead, they are meant to serve as a punishment for the defendant, but only in more extreme cases. According to O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1(b), punitive damages may be awarded only if a plaintiff can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with fraud, willful misconduct, malice, oppression, wantonness, or a lack of care that demonstrates a conscious indifference to consequences. This goes far beyond ordinary negligence that exists in most cases, and punitive damages are much less common.
Personal Injury Cases in Dalton That Our Legal Team Has Handled
The field of personal injury law is vast, encompassing all sorts of accidents and injuries. Car accidents, workplace injuries, and injuries caused by medical negligence all fall under the umbrella of personal injury law. Below are just a few personal injury cases our team is prepared to assist you with.
Wrongful Death
Sometimes, people file claims and cases not for themselves but for someone else. In a wrongful death case, a person may file a case for the death of a family member. In such cases, plaintiffs may claim damages they experienced directly related to losing their loved one. This might involve lost financial support, loss of consortium, and more. They may also claim damages for personal injuries their loved one suffered before passing away. The deceased person’s medical bills, pain, and suffering may still be compensated this way.
Injuries at Amusement Parks
Another possibility is that you were injured while visiting an amusement park. Amusement parks can be a lot of fun but can also be dangerous when park owners do not take care of the grounds and equipment. A rollercoaster might break down and injure riders. Carnival games might malfunction and hurt players. Even something simple like a fall on slippery or damaged walkways might lead to serious injuries. You can sue the park owners for your damages.
Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
Some injuries are more than just painful. Some injuries are downright catastrophic. Brain injuries and damage to a person’s spinal cord can lead to lifelong complications and disabilities. Damages in these kinds of cases tend to be very high. Not only do plaintiffs encounter enormous medical bills, but their quality of life might be severely affected, leading to substantial non-economic damages.
What a Lawyer Can Do to Help Your Dalton Personal Injury Case
It can be tempting to try and handle your case alone, but this is, more often than not, a very bad idea. Lawsuits are famously complex, time-consuming, and frustrating. An attorney can help you through the legal process while you focus on recovering from your injuries.
First, your attorney should be able to help you find evidence to support your claims. Evidence is notoriously difficult. It might be hard to obtain or disappear if we do not collect it fast enough. The evidence you need might be different from what you expect, and your lawyer should know what to do.
Next, your lawyer will assess your damages. We must include information about your damages when we file the case. This means your damages must be fully calculated before we begin the case. If damages are overlooked or underestimated, you risk losing compensation. An experienced attorney can help you maximize your compensation so you can get your life back.
Get Help Now From Our Personal Injury Attorneys in Dalton
Receive an initial case evaluation for free from our personal injury attorneys at Rice, Murtha & Psoras when you call (470) 287-3070.