Punitive damages in personal injury cases are rare, but they do happen. These damages are often associated with gross negligence cases and are meant to add more punishing to the defendant.
What Are Punitive Damages?
You may have heard the term punitive damages in the past if you ever paid attention to a case that resulted in high-profile jury verdicts. When those cases go on to trial, punitive damage is sometimes awarded. It may not occur very often, but it does happen. To be awarded punitive damages, the behavior of the defendant must be guilty and deserving of the punishment they receive.
Unlike regular damages such as loss of wages or permanent disability, punitive damages are not always tied to a palpable injury. They are not meant to compensate the victim for a loss; however, the plaintiff is still the one who receives the punitive damages from the defendant.
What is Considered Gross Negligence?
In many states, the issuing of punitive damages is due to intentional misconduct or gross negligence from the defendant. Gross negligence is conduct that is considered reckless and shows a conscious disregard or indifference to another person’s safety, their life, or their rights. A good example would be if a building inspector told a business owner that a section of their store was unsafe for customers and that they had to shut that area off to the public. If the business order ignored those orders, and later there was an accident related to the issues mentioned by the building inspector, the business would then be held responsible for gross negligence. That’s because the company was aware of the problem and refused to listen and protect their customers.
Hiring a Punitive Damages Lawyer to Assist with Your Case
Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant and prevent them from making the same or similar mistakes in the future. Because these cases are not very common, you must have a punitive damages lawyer representing you. These professionals understand the complexity of the situation and will do whatever they can to ensure justice is served to the correct party or individual.
Our legal team is here to help you with any type of personal injury issue. Consult with a punitive damage attorney today to learn more about how we can assist you with your case. Schedule a free consultation with our firm today for more details.