In any medical malpractice case, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant is liable for damages. Damages in a Glastonbury medical malpractice case are specific, monetary compensations for injuries that the plaintiff sustained, such as medical bills. A dedicated attorney could help a potential plaintiff calculate damages to estimate their case’s potential worth.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are damages for money that a person has lost as the result of an accident. Economic damages may include things like medical bills, lost wages, funeral costs, and other out-of-pocket expenses.
A lawyer may calculate economic damages by adding up the financial amount of the expenses, from medical treatment to loss of income. Calculating economic damages may also involve a life care planner and an economist to estimate the future costs of an injury later in a plaintiff’s life. At an initial consultation, an experienced attorney could run a quick calculation of economic damages and give a potential plaintiff a better understanding of their case’s value.
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Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are compensation for non-monetary consequences of a particular accident. If a person is unable to walk or suffers mental anguish, for example, those may be defined as non-economic damages.
Non-economic damages are quantified either by the parties through a negotiated agreement or by a jury or a judge during a trial. Typically, non-economic damages are much harder to quantify than economic damages. It is very difficult, for example, to place a monetary value on a plaintiff never being able to do the things that they love, whether it is to hike, run, or participate in a favorite hobby. Lawyers develop evaluations for non-economic damages by speaking to focus groups and by looking at damages awarded in other verdicts and other similar cases.
There are no caps on economic or non-economic damages in Glastonbury medical malpractice cases, meaning that a plaintiff may recover full compensation even for the extremely severe and costly injuries.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are damages awarded to the victim to punish the defendant for doing something wrong and to deter them from doing it again in the future. Punitive damages are calculated similarly to economic and non-economic damages. A judge or jury would calculate punitive damages either by specific statute or by the general punitive damages rule, which limits damages to a plaintiff’s attorney’s fees and non-taxable costs.
Punitive damages are uncommon in a Glastonbury medical malpractice case. For someone to receive punitive damages, there would have to be intentional conduct on the part of the medical professional, which is rare. It is unlikely that anybody would be able to achieve punitive damages in a medical negligence case in Connecticut.
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How a Glastonbury Medical Malpractice Attorney Could Help Pursue a Fair Damages Award
Damages are an essential part of medical malpractice cases in Glastonbury. A dedicated attorney could investigate a case, conduct depositions, file for discovery, and present the case in a manner that would allow a jury to award damages. If you have been injured as the result of a medical error or oversight, consider contacting a skilled lawyer about your potential Glastonbury medical malpractice damages award.
