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Q: What kind of compensation may I recover for my injuries?
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A: An injured person may be awarded compensation, or damages, for: Medical expenses; Future medical expenses; Expenses to care for the injured person; Lost income; Loss of income in the future; Pain and suffering; Loss of enjoyment of life; and/or Loss of consortium, or spousal relations. In some cases, an injured person may be able to collect punitive damages, which are meant to punish a person who acted badly. Punitive damages, if any, would be in addition to the damages listed. If you read reports of verdicts or settlements in catastrophic injury cases, you may be struck by the large amounts of money involved. Remember that this money is meant to pay for many different, and expensive, things: extra medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering. A catastrophic injury takes away part of a person's life, and money damages are the law's way of attempting to pay for that loss.
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