Compensatory damages are intended to compensate the accident victim for the losses they have suffered because of the negligence of another party. These damages are intended provide compensation to the injured party and put them in the financial position they would have been if the accident had not occurred. There are two types of compensatory damages: general damages and special damages.
General damages are non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of consortium. General damages can be hard to calculate as there is no exact dollar amount to assign. It is important to work with an experienced personal injury lawyer at The Barnes Firm to recover the compensation you deserve for general damages.
Special damages are damages that are more easily quantifiable, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. These damages can be calculated by determining the sum of total loss of the victim based on evidence, such as medical bills and pay stubs.
The goal of compensatory damages is to make the injured party whole again by providing them with the financial resources they need to cover the losses they have suffered because of another person’s negligence. Compensatory damages are not taxed in New York or California.