The economic damages you can recover when you file a New Jersey personal injury lawsuit include losses with a verifiable and objective value. Examples might include your doctor bills and hospital expenses, the value of the damaged or destroyed property, and lost wages. Recovering economic damages requires you to show that they directly result from another party’s negligence. You will also need to verify them with receipts, invoices, pay stubs, and other similar evidence.
The attorneys at Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman P.C. represent accident victims in Bergen County and elsewhere in New Jersey. We help our clients to recover the full amount of their economic and non-economic damages in personal injury lawsuits. We have the knowledge and experience to use your evidence to demonstrate the full value of your losses and to claim the compensation you deserve.
How are economic and non-economic damages different?
Economic damages are verifiable with invoices and other documentary proof, but non-economic damages are intangible and are specific to each individual. Non-economic damages include an accident victim’s pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life due to chronic pain or disfigurement, emotional trauma associated with the accident, and loss of consortium and friendship with family and other loved ones.
To demonstrate your non-economic damages after a vehicle crash, your car accident lawyer might compare your lifestyle before and after the accident. They would do this to establish how the pain prevents you from participating in activities you previously enjoyed. In contrast, your lawyer will demonstrate your economic damages with invoices from doctors and hospitals, receipts for items that you bought to replace damaged or destroyed property, and wage statements from your job that show your regular earnings.
Are punitive damages part of economic or non-economic damages?
The economic and non-economic damages you can recover in a personal injury lawsuit are intended to compensate you for the losses you suffered due to another party’s negligence. In contrast, punitive damages are designed to punish a party for gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Punitive damages are rarely awarded in a personal injury lawsuit. Nonetheless, with the assistance of a skillful lawyer, an individual who suffers serious injuries caused by someone else’s negligence can recover substantial compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
Contact us at Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman P.C. for a free consultation
For more than 40 years, we have represented accident victims in Bergen County and throughout the state of New Jersey. We fight to recover the largest available compensation for both their economic and non-economic damages in personal injury lawsuits. Contact us to schedule a free consultation. We will gather all available evidence to help you recover the full amount of your economic damages and develop the strongest possible case for recovery of your non-economic damages.