How Much Should You Ask For In A Personal Injury Case?

Speak with any personal injury attorneys in Chicago and you’ll hear the same sentiment in regards to valuing a personal injury settlement: it’s difficult to know.

Here at Shea Law Group, a leading Chicago personal injury lawyer, we have years of experience you need when you’re looking to file a personal injury claim. Here is how we determine what to ask for in a personal injury case.

Special Damages

Special damages are the financial losses you can document with evidence of exact value. These damages are for compensation of losses you suffered due to the negligence of the defendant.

These can include medical bills, receipts from prescriptions, and other devices you were using because of your injuries, as well as lost wages. Each case is different, and other examples can be the repairing and replacement of property damage, loss of valuables, or the cost of hiring assistance for tasks you can no longer perform.

These losses must be thoroughly documented and you must provide specifics of all financial responsibilities.

It is important to work with an experienced personal injury attorney when dealing with a personal injury claim. If you or a member of your family has been injured due to the negligence of another, contact Shea Law Group today.

General Damages

General damages are what you are awarded for your pain and suffering due to someone else’s negligence. These are primarily the type of losses you can’t see and may not have as detailed proof of as with the special damages.

These types of damages include physical pain, mental anguish, emotional suffering, loss of sleep, lowered quality of life, and many other forms of pain and suffering. General damages will typically make up a significant amount of the settlement when you’ve suffered a life-changing injury, such as brain trauma or a spinal cord injury.

It is difficult to calculate a number when considering compensation for general damages. Our personal injury law firm will be tasked with, basically, assigning a dollar amount to a subjective injury. Factors in each case range from the severity of your injury to the lawyer’s ability and perhaps even the sensitivity of the judge and jury.

Whether you’ve been injured in a car accident, from a dog bite, or believe you are due some form of workers’ compensation, trust the leading Chicago, Illinois attorney’s at Shea Law Group to earn you maximum compensation in your case.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are awarded to the plaintiff as punishment for the defendant’s actions. These will typically be awarded at the discretion of the court when the judge believes their behavior was especially harmful.

These are not damages you receive for losses or pain and suffering. We typically only see these in cases against large corporations or businesses that are trying to hide their misconduct.

Consult With An Attorney At Shea Law Group

Contact the law office of Shea Law Group today if you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of another human being or a corporation. We work with you and fight hard from beginning to end, committing ourselves to our injured clients and making sure we calculate the proper damages to ask for in a settlement.

Contact our Chicago, IL office today for your free consultation.