The 19th Hole and Lawsuit Damages

At the Dedication of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Gerald Ford said, I would hope that understanding and reconciliation are not limited to the 19th hole. And it isn’t. But sometimes recompense and reconciliation are not mutually exclusive, and reparations are in order. This is the very essence of tort law and potential lawsuit damages.

Did you know that there are different categories of damages that may be awarded to a plaintiff?

With the recent “page 6” trial sensation involving Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, you may now be familiar with the terms compensatory and punitive. For the purpose of this blog, we are discussing Personal Injury cases, not defamation which was the Depp/Heard lawsuit. Regardless, Depp was ultimately awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. 

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are sought as a means of punishment of the defendant for his or her wrongdoing, by imposing a further award to the plaintiff beyond the quantifiable compensatory damages.

Compensatory Damages

Compensatory damages may be sought by a plaintiff to recover money or other loss which can be quantified. These damages may be broken down further into two categories, economic (or monetary) and non-economic (or non-monetary).

Economic damages provide reimbursement for bills incurred (medical, remediation of property for damages, or upgrading a residence or vehicle to accommodate a wheelchair); lost wages; and loss of future earnings (earning capacity).

Non-Economic damages provide compensation for aspects of your life which cannot be quantified as easily, such as pain and suffering; loss of companionship (which you may also see as “loss of consortium”); and loss of enjoyment of life (essentially, your quality of life has greatly suffered since the onset of the injurious event). Non-monetary losses are much more difficult to quantify but an experienced attorney will help you file for appropriate damages.

You can read more about the types of lawsuit damages awarded in personal injury cases here.

Call our office today for a free consultation. We provide representation for plaintiffs and defendants alike.