At Compass Law Group, LLP we understand that when you’ve suffered a serious injury due to another party’s negligence you want, need, and deserve compensation. Our acclaimed legal team, working diligently out of five offices throughout California, has the knowledge, experience, and well-honed skills to win just compensation for your personal injury case. We know that, as you recover from your trauma and assess how life-altering your injury will be, you are no doubt wondering how your case will be valued for damages.
Our personal injury attorneys are well-schooled in the intricacies of California law and the workings of insurance companies as well as the formulas used to evaluate damages. We also have worked in the field long enough to have insight into the process. Once you become our client, we will dedicate ourselves to winning a lawsuit against the person or entity that harmed you so that you will have the financial resources you require to secure your future.
How Others May Have Caused You Harm
Though we try not to think of the dangers that surround us as we go about our daily lives, there are many ways we can be injured by others, including motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, and product liability. Compass Law Group handles all three.
- Motor vehicle accidents are frequently caused by another driver’s negligence. The other driver may have caused your injury by driving while impaired, distracted, or by disobeying traffic laws.
- Premises liability accidents are caused by property owners (private, business, or public) who have not maintained their premises safely. You may, for example, have fallen on a slippery surface, been bitten by a neighbor’s dog, been hit by improperly stacked merchandise, or been overcome by carbon monoxide.
- Product liability claims may result from harm you incurred as a result of defective brakes, an improperly constructed iron or electric razor, or contaminated food. Depending on the circumstances, we may be able to sue the manufacturer, the repair shop, the distributor or the vendor of the offending product.
Serious Injuries Impact How Your Case Is Valued
It is difficult to categorize the severity of injuries. Whatever type of pain or incapacity you’re experiencing is difficult to bear. Nonetheless, your legal compensation will depend on the nature of your injury. Whether you have suffered: a bone fracture, a burn, a spinal cord injury, loss of vision or hearing, a herniated disc, a dog bite, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or any other physical harm, the court will assess its severity in terms of medical costs, length of incapacity, prognosis, and permanent disfigurement and/or disability.
Types of Damages Awarded
There are two kinds of compensatory damages our attorneys will fight to win: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages will reimburse you for actual costs and monetary losses, including:
- Medical and rehabilitative expenses
- Nursing and homecare
- Property damage
- Lost income
- Lost earning power
Non-economic damages will compensate you for intangible but very real results of your injury, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent scarring or another disfigurement
- Permanent disability of loss of function
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
It is important to be aware that California has no cap on compensatory damages (except in cases of medical malpractice).
How Non-Economic Damages Are Valued
Obviously, it is challenging to assign a dollar amount to pain and suffering. Nonetheless, there are two different formulas to do just that:
- The Multiplier Method in which the total amount of economic damages is multiplied by a factor from 1.5 to 5, depending on the extent of your injuries and estimates of amounts needed to cover your future care and future pain and suffering.
- The Per Diem Method in which a dollar amount is allocated for each day of pain and suffering until the victim has fully recovered. If the amount assigned is $200 per day, for example, and you do not fully recover for a year, your award would be about $73,000.
It should be noted that under California law, uninsured drivers may not be able to bring a claim for pain and suffering. If you are uninsured, it is essential that you contact one of our savvy attorneys as quickly as possible.
Punitive Damages in Personal Injury Cases
Our sharp attorneys may also be able to win you punitive damages, over and above compensatory ones, if the offending party has behaved especially reprehensibly — with malice, the intent to harm or extreme recklessness. It pays to remember, though, that the plaintiff only wins punitive damages about 5 percent of the time.
If punitive damages are awarded, they typically amount to three or four times the amount of the compensatory damages. The amount awarded generally depends on:
- The amount of money the defendant has
- The nature of the defendant’s wrongdoing
- The relationship between the defendant and the plaintiff
- The defendant’s motive
- Whether the defendant gained financially in any way
- Whether the defendant has engaged in prior misconduct
- Whether the defendant attempted to make amends
- How much the injury has changed your life
Your Attorney Can Make All the Difference in the Size of Your Settlement
Because of all the variables involved in how your case will be valued, the most important decision you will make is which personal injury you will use. If you are in California, Compass Law Group is a very wise choice. We have five offices up and down the state and as strong a reputation for integrity, attention to detail, and compassion as you’re likely to find.
Over our years in practice, we have perfected our tactical skills. We know how persuasive objective evidence is, so we will use any and all of the following in court to support your cause:
- Photos of property damage and physical injuries
- Medical records, including X-rays and imaging scans
- Notes from physicians and therapists (physical, occupational, psychological)
- Before and after photos or videos showing your altered appearance/activity level
- Testimony of family, friends, co-workers and neighbors that bolster our claims
- Printed evidence of lost work time and lost income
- Expert testimony regarding medical suffering, lost earning capacity, product defects,
or any other relevant information
Above all else, we have the negotiation and litigation skills necessary to win your maximum compensation for the awful ordeal you are going through.
Contact Compass Law Where Your Case Is Valued
Compass Law Group’s attorneys have outstanding credentials and a superb standing in the legal community. We also have a track record of winning millions of dollars for our deserving clients. Above all, we value you and your right to compensation. Aware of how overwhelming your present situation is, we are prepared to fight aggressively on your behalf and will charge you no attorneys’ fees until we win your damages.