In most auto accident claims, victims are eligible to get two types of compensation: economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover expenses such as medical bills and lost wages, while non-economic damages cover reduced quality of life, pain and suffering, and more.
However, in some rare cases, victims may be entitled to a third type of compensation called punitive damages. But instead of this money being awarded to victims to truly “compensate” them for their losses, it is instead levied against the at-fault parties to punish them for their extreme misbehavior. These damages are rarely awarded, and they are capped at $350,000 under Virginia law.
When it comes to auto accident cases, punitive damages may be assessed for things like driving under the influence, especially for extremely high BAC levels or repeat offenders, road rage-related crashes, reckless driving, and more. Punitive damages aren’t awarded when cases settle out of court. Instead, they are levied against at-fault drivers in court by the juries assigned to their cases.
At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we know when auto accident claims may be eligible for punitive damages, and we don’t pass up that opportunity to help our clients get maximum compensation. When we build claims, we build them with an eventual trial in mind, even though most injury claims settle out of court long before they’re tried in front of a judge and jury.
We believe in being prepared for all possibilities, and that’s just one way we work hard to get our clients the financial recoveries they’re owed. Contact our Virginia auto accident lawyers today for a free consultation.
