A serious bodily injury can be painful, debilitating and frustrating. It can also be very expensive. If you are hurt badly enough, you might not be up to the physical demands of your job. Chronic pain and limited mobility can make even office work impossible.
So you may have to stop working until you recover at least partially. Once your sick leave runs out, that usually means unpaid leave or being forced to quit your job. Meanwhile, you probably are undergoing grueling and expensive medical treatment like surgery, medication and physical therapy. Though these treatments are necessary, they can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Nevada law recognizes that it’s unfair for a personal injury victim to have to pay these costs when they were hurt because of someone else’s negligence. Thus, you have the right to seek compensation in court for damages related to a personal injury.
Compensatory vs. punitive damages
Damages designed to make you financially “whole” again after an injury are called compensatory damages. The idea is to put you in the same (or close to the same) financial position as you would have been had your injuries never happened. Examples include lost past and future wages and past and future medical costs. More abstract but equally real damages include pain and suffering and reduced quality of life.
Besides compensatory damages, you might qualify for punitive damages. This form of damages is meant to punish extremely negligent behavior and is rarely awarded at trial. For most personal injury matters, Nevada caps punitive damages at $300,000 if the compensatory damages awarded are less than $100,000. If the compensatory damages exceed $100,000, possible punitive damages are capped at three times the total.
How much is my injury worth?
The amount of damages you can expect depends on the details of what happened to you. Discussing with a personal injury lawyer can help you understand what level of compensation you can anticipate.