Chesterfield County Personal Injury Lawyer
Accidents due to another’s negligence can have devastating consequences. Regardless of the types of injuries and damages you sustained, you deserve compensation.
A Chesterfield County personal injury lawyer could play an essential role in the fight for fair civil recovery afterwards. With guidance from a personal injury attorney who has helped individuals in your situation before, you could be in a much better position to establish liability for your losses and demand appropriate compensation in or out of court.
What Damages Could Be Recoverable?
There are many different circumstances that could potentially justify a personal injury claim, from car crashes to slip and falls, and even injuries from dangerous consumer products. The purpose of pursuing a civil claim is to restore the injured individual to their pre-accident condition, or to get as close to it as possible through financial compensation.
Accordingly, after proving negligence or strict liability on the part of the defendant named in their case, a civil plaintiff may seek restitution for specific losses if they can prove that those losses stemmed directly from the defendant’s reckless, careless, or intentional actions. Damages may be economic or non-economic in nature—in other words, they may have objective financial values, or they may be completely subjective based on the plaintiff’s unique experiences.
With help from a Chesterfield County personal injury attorney, the injured person may be able to recover for damages such as:
- Lost work wages
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
In rare cases involving either gross negligence or an intentional malicious act by the defendant, punitive damages meant specifically to punish the defendant rather than compensate the plaintiff may also be available. However, Code of Virginia §8.01-38.1 caps punitive damages at $350,000 if any are awarded in a case.
Potential Obstacles to Civil Compensation
The aforementioned cap on punitive damages is not the only limitation on civil recovery established under state law. For example, Code of Virginia §8.01-581.15 sets a cap on recoverable damages in medical negligence claims that increases on a yearly basis. As of July 1, 2020, this cap is $2.45 million.
Perhaps more importantly, though, Virginia is one of only five states and territories—the others being Maryland, North Carolina, Alabama, and the District of Columbia—that still follows a pure contributory fault system for civil cases. Under this system, a plaintiff cannot recover damages if they bear any percentage of fault at all for the accident in question. In light of this harsh rule, representation from a skilled lawyer is often especially important for personal injury victims in Chesterfield County.
Contact a Chesterfield County Personal Injury Attorney Today
Recovering comprehensively for civil damages is a difficult task in any situation, but if you try to pursue your case without professional guidance, you may have little to no chance of getting any compensation at all. Between the various challenges involved in proving civil liability and the strict rules regarding contributory fault in Virginia, unrepresented plaintiffs rarely find success in private settlement negotiations or lawsuits in civil court.
By retaining a Chesterfield County personal injury lawyer, you could greatly improve your odds of a positive case resolution. Call today to learn more about your legal options.
