Punitive damages are generally imposed to set an example for the negligent party and to deter others from behaving in the same way or from committing similar wrongful behavior. If you are seeking monetary compensation for your personal injury case, it is important to seek the help of a Personal Injury Attorney in Barnwell SC. While the intent and purposes of the punitive damages imposed on a business are not designed to compensate the plaintiff, you will receive monetary compensation. If a court orders a punitive award, it is essentially punishing the defendant, who must pay the designated amount of money and hand it over to the plaintiff.
Punitive damages, also known as exemplary damages, are those that are awarded separately from actual damages derived from a fact. Courts generally award punitive damages only when it is determined that the defendant has acted in a particularly damaging manner. The Supreme Court and states provide guidelines for calculating punitive damages. Although there is no maximum amount, punitive damages do not usually exceed four times the amount of compensatory damages. If negligence is proven and the victim's injuries are a direct result, compensatory damages are awarded.
Compensatory damages are designed to compensate plaintiffs for the actual losses they have suffered. The severity of the victim's injuries, as well as the amount of negligence demonstrated by the defendant, are taken into account when determining what damages are due and how much those damages amount to. The legal team at Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law, is here to ensure that you understand all of your legal rights and options, including the forms of compensation available to you. For example, some jurisdictions only allow plaintiffs to seek punitive compensation if the defendant has clearly demonstrated their intent of harming the plaintiff.
Another example that would qualify for general damages is when someone has trouble entering into relationships after their injury. Regardless of the award, the defendant always receives fair notice of the amount of the punitive damages and the conduct justifying the award.
The main difference between compensatory and punitive damages is their intended effects on the two opposing parties of a personal injury lawsuit.
To recover punitive damages from a party who wronged you, your attorney must normally provide evidence that the defendant intended to cause you damage. As the name suggests, compensatory damages are awarded to injured people to compensate for injuries and losses suffered in an accident caused by their own fault or without it.Compensatory damages seek financial recovery for the actual damages you suffered due to the negligence of the other person. To get the full compensation you deserve for your injury, you must understand the difference between compensatory damages and punitive damages. If a court orders punitive compensation, the defendant must pay the designated amount to the plaintiff as a form of punishment for their actions. For example, suppose that a company sells a product that it knows is defective or that it can cause injury in order to continue to benefit from it, it could be ordered to pay punitive compensation if it is proven that it was negligent in its decisions to sell these products.
If you believe you are entitled to compensatory and punitive compensation for a serious accident in Florida, contact a personal injury attorney at Ratzan Weissman & Boldt today. However, intentionally causing harm and flagrantly ignoring the safety of others can aggravate a civil case to the point that there are punitive damages.