Recoverable Damages After a Hutto Car Accident

Recoverable damages after a Hutto car accident can make a big difference in your financial situation. Accidents can require expensive medical treatment and disrupt your ability to work. Damages can provide compensation for these expenses as well as for intangible suffering. A car accident attorney can help you determine whether a lawsuit is a good option in your situation and guide you through the process if it is.

What Are Recoverable Damages After a Car Accident?

Recoverable damages are any compensation an injured person is awarded in a Hutto car accident lawsuit. These include compensation for the injured person’s financial and non-financial losses. In rare cases, a court can order additional damages that are intended to punish the person responsible.

The term recoverable damages can also refer more specifically to the idea of recoverability or collectability. This means considering how much the responsible person can actually pay. If the injured person’s damages exceed the responsible person’s insurance limits and they do not have the resources available to pay damages out of pocket, the damages may be unrecoverable. Even if a court awards damages, the injured person may not end up receiving the full amount if the other driver does not have the insurance coverage or the money to pay them. Considering how much is realistically recoverable is an important part of the strategy in a car accident case.

How Are Recoverable Damages Calculated in a Car Accident Case?

Compensatory damages fall into two categories, economic and non-economic. Economic damages are based on the injured person’s actual costs. These include medical bills, lost wages, and lost future earning capacity. If the accident causes a permanent disability or injuries with a long recovery period, this total can be substantial. Non-economic damages are meant to compensate for intangible suffering like physical pain, emotional distress, or loss of enjoyment of life. Because these cannot be attached to a specific amount of money, the court often uses a multiplier to calculate non-economic damages. This means they assign a number based on factors like the seriousness of the accident and multiply that number by the economic damages.

Punitive damages, which are also called exemplary damages in Texas, are meant to punish the offender rather than compensate the injured person and are much less common than compensatory damages. According to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 41.003, punitive damages are only an option when the case involves fraud, malice, or gross negligence. Since fraud is rarely a factor in car accident cases, a court is most likely to consider punitive damages if the person who caused the accident was drunk or excessively speeding, or if they caused a crash intentionally. This type of compensation is rare, but it can add to the total recoverable damages in a Hutto car accident case.

Discuss Your Hutto Car Accident Case Recoverable Damages With an Attorney Today

If you are dealing with serious injuries, recoverable damages after a Hutto car accident will help you pay the bills so you can focus on your health instead of worrying about your finances. An attorney will help you determine whether you should consider a lawsuit and how much might be recoverable. Felix Gonzalez Accident and Injury Law Firm offers free consultations for new clients. Contact us to schedule yours today.