Damages in Terre Haute Personal Injury Claims

Trying to recover damages in Terre Haute personal injury claims can be complicated. The process involves many stages, from collecting quality evidence to hiring expert witnesses to potentially going to trial. Understanding the amount of damages you may be entitled to allows you to make strategic legal decisions.

An experienced personal injury attorney from Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin can help you build a strong case to support damage recovery. Legal assistance is usually necessary to avoid an unfair settlement and ensure the process progresses smoothly.

What Are the Types of Damages in Personal Injury Cases?

When it comes to most personal injury cases in Terre Haute, if you can prove the at-fault party’s negligence, you can demand the following types of damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages cover your direct financial losses caused by your injury. These usually include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning capacity
• Rehabilitation costs

These are measurable losses. You can prove them through bills, pay stubs, doctors’ reports, and other tangible evidence.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages compensate for losses that lack a clear dollar value. This includes pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. Proving these can be more complicated. Evidence can include statements from family members and expert witness testimony.  An expert witness is usually a medical professional who can explain the extent of your injuries and the expected recovery timeline.

Punitive Damages

If the person or organization who caused your injuries demonstrated extreme negligence or intentional misconduct, the court may award punitive damages. Their purpose is to punish the at-fault party and prevent similar negligence in the future.

Factors That Affect Your Damage Recovery

The amount of damages you can recover in a personal injury case in Terre Haute can depend on many factors. These factors include:

• Severity of the injury: More serious injuries usually result in higher compensation. Permanent injuries and/or long-term recovery often increase both economic and non-economic damages.
• Medical treatment: The complexity of your medical care makes a significant difference. Ongoing treatment and the need for future surgeries affect the amount.
• Impact on daily life and work: If your injuries limit your ability to work or perform daily activities, this can increase compensation.
• Strength of evidence: The more evidence you collect to support the effect your injuries have had on your life, the better. Strong evidence makes it harder for insurance companies to dispute your claim.

An attorney can help you evaluate the reasonable amount of damages and fight to recover all of them either through negotiations or by going to court.

What to Know About Modified Comparative Negligence

Indiana follows a modified comparative negligence model to calculate how much damages you can recover, which means that if you are partially at fault for the accident, your compensation will be reduced accordingly. However, if you are found more than 51% responsible, you cannot recover any damages.

For example, if someone got hurt in a car accident because they were speeding and crashed into a car that ran a red light, both drivers may be at fault. An attorney in Terre Haute can help you better understand how comparative negligence applies to your personal injury claim and affects your damages.

Consult an Attorney in Terre Haute about Damages in Personal Injury Claims

The amount of damages in Terre Haute personal injury claims depends on the way the accident impacted your life. If you were hurt because of someone else’s negligent actions, you can try to recover the maximum amount for your losses.

An experienced attorney from Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin can help you collect evidence and build a strong case against the at-fault party. Reach out to schedule a consultation today.