What Kind of Compensation is Available for Accident Victims?
Our clients often ask us what kind of compensation can you expect if you have been the victim of an auto accident. There are several types of damages that a victim can suffer from and for which they are entitle to compensation.
1. Victim’s Compensation for Financial Loss
Financial loss is another term for monetary damages. It encompasses the damages sustained as a result of an injury for proven damages like medical bills and lost wages. In SC, accident victims may be entitled to money to recover the costs of treatment for injuries as a result of the negligence or intentional conduct of a third party. The South Carolina accident attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC, will fight tirelessly to protect the rights of those who are injured by the wrongful acts of others.
An accident victim may be entitled to an award of the costs for future medical care for permanent injuries. Typically, this must be proven with expert testimony. Our South Carolina accident law firm provides aggressive representation and will fight to ensure that you receive the treatment and therapy that you deserve. While you focus on getting better, we will focus on securing the benefits you deserve.
2. Victim’s Compensation Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering is the term used to describe damages designed to compensate someone for his or her injuries that are physical and emotional in nature. This is contrasted with out of pocket damages like lost wages and medical bills.
Most states allow additional victim’s compensation when an injury interferes with a plaintiff’s ability to lead a normal life. The loss of the enjoyment of life is generally understood as depriving an accident victim of the ordinary pleasures of living a full life. Depending upon the situation, this could mean the ability to play with your children, to walk and exercise as one did prior to an injury, to communicate meaningfully with others, or to engage in hobbies one previously enjoyed.
South Carolina also recognizes a claim for loss of consortium. A loss of consortium claim recognizes that the spouse of an injured person also suffers, and it allows victim’s compensation for this injury even though the spouse did not suffer physical injury himself or herself. A loss of consortium case is separate from the injured victim’s case.
Courts generally do not recognize shortened life expectancy as a separate injury, but it may be considered in determining the seriousness of someone’s injury, decreased earning capacity, pain and suffering, and mental suffering from knowing one’s life will be shorter. The South Carolina accident attorneys at The Strom Law Firm, LLC, are dedicated to fighting to get you the compensation that you deserve.
3. Punitive Damages
Depending upon the facts of your accident case, our South Carolina accident lawyers may also assert a claim for punitive damages. Punitive damages may be awarded in cases where malicious or reckless conduct may be shown.
If you or a loved one has been injured or even killed in an accident through no fault of their own, and you think that you are entitled to compensation, please contact the South Carolina accident attorneys at The Strom Law Firm, LLC, for a free consultation.
