When you suffer from an injury due to someone else’s negligence, it can lead to medical expenses, lost wages, and a decrease in your quality of life. If you are in Alabama, you might wonder how much compensation you can receive from a personal injury lawsuit. This article will explain the maximum amount of damages you can recover in an Alabama personal injury lawsuit.
Table of Contents
Economic Damages
Economic damages refer to the losses you incurred as a result of the injury. In an Alabama personal injury lawsuit, you can recover compensation for economic damages such as:
Medical Expenses
This includes the cost of medical treatment and rehabilitation. You can recover damages for the treatment you’ve already received as well as any future treatment needed.
Lost Wages
If your injury requires you to take time off from work, you can recover compensation for lost wages. This includes both the money you would have earned if you didn’t take time off from work and future lost income.
Property Damage
If the injury resulted in property damage such as a car accident, you can recover compensation for repairs or replacement of the damaged property.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages refer to the losses that aren’t easily quantifiable, such as pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and loss of enjoyment of life. In Alabama, there is a cap on non-economic damages, which is the maximum amount of compensation you can get for non-economic damages.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering refer to the physical and emotional pain caused by the injury. In Alabama, the cap on non-economic damages is $400,000.
Emotional Distress
Emotional distress refers to psychological disorders or conditions caused by the injury. The non-economic damages cap in Alabama also limits compensation for these damages to $400,000.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are damages awarded to punish the defendant for their behavior that caused the injury. These damages can be awarded in addition to economic and non-economic damages, but there is a cap on the amount of punitive damages.
In Alabama, the cap on punitive damages is three times the amount of the economic and non-economic damages awarded or $1.5 million, whichever is greater.
Conclusion
Recovering damages in an Alabama personal injury lawsuit can help you get back on your feet after an injury. Knowing the maximum amount of compensation you can receive for different types of damages can help you make informed decisions should you decide to file a lawsuit. It’s important to note that the caps on damages in Alabama may change due to legislative action or a court ruling.