An individual who has been injured by the negligence of another is entitled to be made whole. Under Maryland law, in order to recover damages as a result of an accident, an individual must have suffered an injury to his/her person or property as a result of someone else’s negligence.

Compensatory damages are those monetary damages designed to make a victim whole. There are two types of compensatory damages: special damages and general damages. “Special damages” are the out-of-pocket expenses that a victim incurs as a result of the accident. Special damages include: 1) past medical expenses, which must be reasonable, necessary and causally connected to the occurrence for which the victim is seeking recovery; and 2) lost wages. The two basic requirements for recovering lost wages are: 1) that the lost wages are actual and certain; and 2) the victim’s injury impaired him/her from being able to work.

“General damages”, on the other hand, are non-pecuniary damages (non-economic damages), for which the law is unable to place a dollar amount, but nevertheless recognizes as compensable. The most common example of general damages is “pain and suffering.” Moreover, some of the factors that influence pain and suffering damages are: 1) age of the victim; 2) the severity of the injury; 3) how the injury impacts the victim’s daily life; 4) the victim’s life expectancy; 5) the length of time that it took the victim to recover; 6) the degree of residual or permanent injury; and 7) the emotional trauma suffered.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or other wrongful conduct, contact Patel & Williams, PLLC. Our office will work to provide you with the highest quality professional legal services and support when you need it most.