A personal injury can occur unexpectedly and have devastating effects on your physical, emotional, and financial well-being.
Whether it’s a car accident, slip, and fall, or medical malpractice, these incidents can cause severe injuries that require extensive medical treatment and time off work. Fortunately, seeking compensation for your damages can help alleviate the financial burden and provide a sense of justice.
Our legal team at Florida Accident Injury Attorneys can help you navigate the complex legal system and obtain the compensation you deserve.
What Does Monetary Compensation Cover in Your Injury Claim?
If you are awarded monetary compensation after sustaining a personal injury, it can be used to cover the injury-related costs you are dealing with. Some of the ways you can use this compensation include the following:
Medical Bills
A personal injury can lead to extensive medical bills, including emergency room visits, surgeries, and ongoing rehabilitation and therapy.
Compensation for medical expenses is essential to ensure that you can afford the necessary treatment to heal and recover. This compensation can cover the initial medical bills and ongoing expenses related to the injury. Rehabilitation and therapy costs, for example, can add up over time and are crucial for achieving a full recovery.
Without compensation, these expenses can be overwhelming, and you may not be able to afford the necessary care to recover fully.
Lost Wages
In addition to medical bills, personal injury can lead to missed work and lost wages. If you have to take time off work to recover from your injuries, you may be unable to earn a living.
Compensation for missed work can help you cover your living expenses while you cannot work. Additionally, if your injuries result in a permanent disability that affects your future earning potential, compensation can help offset that loss. Future earning potential considers your potential income had you not been injured and calculates the difference between your actual income after the injury.
This compensation can help ensure that you can continue to support yourself and your family despite the limitations caused by your injury.
Pain and Suffering
A personal injury can cause not only physical but also emotional trauma. The pain and suffering caused by the injury can be long-lasting and impact your overall quality of life.
Compensation for pain and suffering is designed to account for the emotional and psychological impact of the injury, such as depression, anxiety, and loss of enjoyment of life. The compensation awarded for pain and suffering varies depending on the severity of the injury and impact on your life.
While it is difficult to put a dollar value on emotional and psychological trauma, compensation can help provide some sense of justice and help you move forward with your life.
Determining What Your Personal Injury Claim Is Worth
Compensation in a Florida personal injury case is typically determined based on several factors, including the extent of the injury, the cost of medical treatment, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The amount of compensation is also affected by the degree of fault of each party involved in the accident.
In Florida, the comparative negligence rule applies, which means that compensation may be reduced if the injured party is found to be partially responsible for the accident. Additionally, Florida law limits the amount of compensation that can be awarded in certain types of cases, such as medical malpractice cases.
Caps on Compensation in Florida Personal Injury Cases
Florida has several caps on compensation in personal injury cases. These caps limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in certain types of cases, including:
- Medical malpractice: In Florida, there is a cap on non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, of $500,000 per claimant or $1 million per claimant in cases involving catastrophic injuries or deaths.
- Auto accidents: If the injured party has suffered a permanent injury, there is a cap on non-economic damages of $1 million.
- Government liability: In cases involving the government, there is a cap on damages of $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident.
- Workers’ compensation: There is a cap on temporary total disability benefits, which is currently set at $1,197 per week.
These caps only apply to certain damages and do not limit the compensation awarded for economic damages, like medical expenses and lost wages.
Additionally, the caps may not apply in cases where there is evidence of intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
Contact Florida Accident Injury Attorneys for Help with Your Personal Injury Claim
If you experienced an injury caused by another person’s or party’s negligence or fault, you might be entitled to monetary compensation. Understanding how this compensation can help you is essential to ensure you protect your rights and give yourself the financial support needed to recover fully.
