Hanover County Personal Injury Lawyer
The time immediately following a serious accident can be confusing and chaotic for everybody involved, even if the injuries that resulted are relatively minor. If you suffered severe harm due to the recklessness or carelessness of another party, you may be dealing with overwhelming physical pain and financial expenses, not to mention a range of emotional and psychological struggles.
If you are unsure of the next steps to take after being involved in an accident, a Hanover County personal injury lawyer could help you get on the right path towards civil recovery. Once retained, your dedicated personal injury attorney could collect evidence of the defendant(s)’ negligence, compile it into a comprehensive settlement demand or civil complaint, and work to ensure you get the recovery you should be entitled.
Establishing Liability for a Personal Injury
While the specific grounds for a personal injury case can vary, the basic premise on which cases are based is often the same. With a few exceptions, almost every successful civil claim in Hanover County involves the injured plaintiff proving legal negligence on the party of the named defendant(s).
In a nutshell, a person or entity is considered negligent if they violate, or breach, a duty to act reasonably, and that breach proximately causes compensable injuries or damages. Depending on the circumstances, negligence could entail a violation of the law, a failure to meet a professional standard of care, or simply a momentary irresponsible act.
Regardless of how or why a negligent defendant did what they did, a finding of legal negligence imposes financial liability on them for every injury and loss their actions directly caused the plaintiff to suffer. With help from a Hanover County personal injury attorney, an injured individual may be able to recover compensation for various damages stemming from someone else’s negligence, including:
- Past and future medical bills
- Lost work income, as well as loss of future capacity to earn income
- Damage to personal property, such as a vehicle
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish, including psychological conditions like PTSD
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Damage Caps and Contributory Fault
Unfortunately, civil plaintiffs in Hanover County do not have an unlimited right to seek compensation for damages in all situations. For example, if the cause of action for a civil lawsuit is negligence by a medical practitioner, Code of Virginia §8.01-581.15 caps total recoverable damages at $2.45 million as of July 1, 2020. In the same vein, the maximum amount any plaintiff can receive in punitive damages—which are meant specifically to punish an egregiously reckless or malicious defendant—is $350,000, as per Code of Virginia §8.01-38.1.
Furthermore, recovery may be impossible altogether if a civil plaintiff is found even slightly to blame for their own accident, as Virginia is one of the few states in America that still follows a pure contributory fault system during civil litigation. Assistance from a personal injury lawyer in Hanover County may be critical to contesting allegations of contributory fault and maximizing available compensation.
Speak with a Hanover County Personal Injury Attorney Today
The process of filing suit for a personal injury can be complicated even if you have past experience with the civil litigation process, and nearly impossible to manage alone if you have not. Either way, help from seasoned legal counsel could be essential to boosting your chances of a favorable case outcome that results in the compensation you need to cover your losses.
From start to finish of your civil claim, a Hanover County personal injury lawyer could provide customized legal guidance and tenacious representation. To find out more about the assistance an attorney could provide, call today.
