Compensatory damages are meant to compensate the victim for the injuries he/she suffered in the accident. Compensatory damages can cover loss of income, expenses incurred, property destroyed or personal injury. When your Houston accident attorneys prove your case at trial or settle your case with opposing counsel, you are usually awarded compensatory damages.
To calculate compensatory damages, a monetary value is assigned to victim’s physical harm and property loss as a result of the personal injury. This monetary value can be actual or estimated. Actual losses include medical bills, repair bills for an automobile or other property that was harmed as a direct result of the personal injury, and lost wages or earned sick or vacation time. The most typical estimated value is pain and suffering. Indirect victims of the personal injury may also have a legal claim to compensatory damages. Spouses, for example, can often file suit to recoup monies lost due to loss of affection or loss of the spouse’s contribution to the household.