When you’ve been taken advantage of, lied to by, neglected by, or otherwise injured by a medical professional, not only are you physically harmed but your faith and trust are affected. Depending on the situation, you may also be psychologically and emotionally devastated by the incident. Your entire future could be affected as the result of one person’s negligence, and that is unacceptable.
Filing a medical malpractice claim can get you the damages you deserve for your suffering. Now, although a monetary settlement may not be able to reverse the mistake or make up for the physical and emotional pain it has put you through, it can help give you peace of mind for the future.
Types of Medical Malpractice Damages
Before filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, you and your lawyer need to decide the types of damages for which you want to seek compensation. In any case, the three different types of damages that can be awarded are economic, non-economic, and punitive.
- Economic: Damages that can be equally replaced by a monetary amount. An example is lost wages from missing work after being given the wrong medication; it’s fairly easy to calculate the amount of work hours and wages lost.
- Non-economic: Damages that do not possess a monetary value and therefore cannot be equally exchanged, replaced, or bought by a monetary amount. Example: the emotional and social difficulties someone disfigured by a large, visible scar after surgery goes wrong.
- Punitive. Punitive damages are not common, but occasionally necessary. These damages seek to punish the defendant for intentional wrongdoing, willful misconduct, malicious intent, or reckless behavior in order to keep him from repeating the same behavior.
Depending on the situation, you may only be eligible to seek either economic or non-economic damages, but an experienced lawyer will be able to determine the full extent of malpractice involved and help you determine what damages you should be owed.
To make sure you get your full damages and the best settlement overall, contact us today. The consultation is free, so you have a lot to gain with nothing to lose. We’ll be waiting for your call.
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