What Are Damages?
Damages are compensation, usually in monetary form, awarded in a civil court case for an injury or loss caused by another person’s negligence.
According to the American Bar Association (ABA), damages are tangible and non-tangible losses that can be quantified and documented, providing direct financial assistance to an injured party. Examples of damages can include medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage.
Damages are important in restoring the injured party to the position they would have been in had the wrongdoing not occurred. This concept is fundamental in both tort and contract law, where it addresses breaches of duty or contract, provides a financial measure of reparation, and is even more important in personal injury cases where the injured party receives compensatory damages for medical bills and pain and suffering.
More information about Damages
$82.5 Million Awarded To Blast Victim’s Family
Company found grossly negligent in wrongful death case
As wrongful death attorneys, we deal with the grief and confusion a family feels following the unexpected and unnecessary death of a loved one. It is difficult for family to maneuver through the maze of legalities while mourning the loss of their loved one, especially when the death is that of a young father and husband.
The Star-Telegram reports the family of a 27-year-old man who died of injuries suffered in an explosion at a natural gas processing plant has been awarded $82.5 million by a Harris County (Texas) jury.
In May, 2007, the young man was injured when a hot-oil treater exploded and he died at the hospital the next day. The award will go to his widow and the couple’s three young children, including a son born shortly after his father died. […]
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$3.5 Million Awarded In Lawsuit Over Botched Surgery
The Baltimore Sun reports a 53-year-old woman has won $3.5 million in her medical malpractice suit against Vascular Surgery Associates and two of its surgeons following a botched surgery.
In 2007 the woman’s surgery for blocked arteries ended in devastating injuries including damage to her spinal cord which left her a paraplegic. The lawsuit claimed the doctor used an improper grafting technique which led to various injuries including blood loss, and paralysis.
The award included $1.3 million in noneconomic damages, $2 million for future medical bills, and more than $200,000 for prior medical bills.
Our medical malpractice lawyers have decades of experience handling complex cases involving medical errors, misdiagnoses, and hospital infections. We will evaluate your case thoroughly and explore all potential sources of recovery – we fight to protect the rights of patients. […]
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$1.8 Million Award Against Hyundai Following Teen’s Death
A jury in San Angelo (Texas) federal court has reached a $1.8 million award against Hyundai Motor Company in favor of the plaintiff – the father of a 19-year-old girl killed in 2007, reports GoSanAngelo. The teenager was a passenger in a car driven by her sister when the car veered off the road and rolled over. Although she was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, she was thrown out through the back window of the car because her seat was too far reclined. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
In filing the lawsuit, the father of the dead girl hopes to call on the auto industry to correct the design which allows a car to be driven with the seat reclined. Experts testified a car seat reclined past 45 degrees is unsafe and the safest position for the passenger seat is in the upright position. […]
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Ford Motor Company to Pay Paralyzed Woman $23.4 Million
ABC News reports a woman has been awarded $23.4 million by a California jury against Ford Motor Company following a 2007 accident which left her a quadriplegic.
The woman lost control of her Ford Explorer when the tread separated from her rear tire causing her car to roll three times down an embankment. She was left with both of her legs and most of her body paralyzed.
The lawsuit alleged flaws in the 1997 Explorer’s design caused it to lose control when the tire treads separated. Ford argued the accident was caused by worn-out tires.
The jury returned a unanimous verdict for the plaintiff.
If you have been injured or a loved one killed in a vehicle accident that was caused by another person’s carelessness or recklessness, you may be able to recover damages that include medical costs, […]
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Parents File Lawsuit After Deadly School Bus Accident
The parents of a teenage boy have filed suit against Autumn Transportation following a crash that injured their son and caused emotional turmoil when his friend was killed in the crash, reports the Connecticut News. The parents are suing on behalf of their son according to Connecticut law since the boy is a minor.
The bus went off the highway after it collided with a Volvo station wagon. The suit alleges the bus company allowed a driver who did not have proper training and licensing to drive the school bus, and further claims the company does not adequately supervise or train its drivers. The bus driver’s license has since been suspended by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Also named in the suit are the bus driver and the teen driver of the Volvo for failing to take necessary precautions to avoid an accident. […]
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