Biloxi Hit and Run Accident Damages
If you or a loved one are pursuing Biloxi hit and run accident damages, hiring a knowledgeable injury attorney could be beneficial. While there may be numerous avenues of compensation that a person may have available to him or her, putting forth a strong claim could be difficult for injured individuals. Consult an experienced hit-and-run attorney to begin your injury case for full and complete recovery.
Recoverable Damages in Hit and Run Car Wreck Cases
Following a car wreck, an injured individual might be entitled to economic, non-economic and punitive damages. For help with calculating recoverable damages after a hit and run accident in Biloxi, one might want to seek the services of a seasoned lawyer.
Economic Damages
Similar to any car wreck case in Mississippi, a person in a hit and run wreck may recover economic damages. Economic damages are tangible damages that are easily quantified and do not change in value. Economic damages include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Custodial care
- Disabilities
- Loss of earnings or loss of earning capacity
- Loss of income
- Loss of employment
- Loss of employment opportunities
- Burial costs in the case of wrongful death
Additional expenses include the loss of property use when a person’s car is severely damaged. In such a case, the person may need to obtain other forms of transportation. Property damage and the cost of repairing or replacing the property may also be included. The cost of household services may be considered economic damages when a person’s injury requires them to hire home cleaners for a period of time while he or she recuperates. Any verifiable monetary loss falls within economic damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are more difficult to recover and not as easily identified as economic damages. A jury may also evaluate these damages in a person’s injury case. It is important to consult a car accident lawyer who could help a person pursue compensation for all damages that a plaintiff may have available under the law.
Non-economic damages include physical pain and suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish, worry, emotional distress, and the loss of society and companionship. Loss of consortium occurs when a spouse, child, parent, or custodial parent is severely injured in an accident and is no longer able to perform the services that he or she provided before the accident. Bystander injuries occur when a person sees a loved one injured in a car accident when he or she was not physically injured. This is a different type of non-economic damage that may be available for the emotional shock caused by witnessing a loved one being severely injured or killed. Injuries to reputation, disfigurement, physical impairment, embarrassment, and loss of enjoyment of life are additional examples of non-economic damages that can be recovered. As a Van Cleave seasoned attorney could explain, Mississippi allows a person to collect a maximum of one million dollars for non-economic damages.
What are Punitive Damages?
Punitive damages might be awarded in a hit-and-run crash if it can be shown that the at-fault driver acted with gross negligence. This negligence must amount to reckless disregard for the safety of others. Punitive damages are an amount of money determined by the jury to punish the defendant for their misconduct to deter him or her from committing the same act.
What are Important Steps to Take After a Hit-and-Run Accident?
Immediately after a hit-and-run accident or any type of car wreck, injured individuals should take the appropriate steps to protect themselves from further injury. If he or she is still able to drive, the person should try to move the vehicle off to the side of the road to get out of harm’s way.
If a person’s vehicle is disabled and he or she can get out of the car, the individual should try to do so and relocate to a safe place. To the extent that he or she is able, individuals should document the scene of the accident and should get the names of the other driver and the witnesses. Victims should also take pictures of the scene and the vehicles. If an individual’s loved one is hurt, he or she should try to take pictures of the injuries for documentation. These pictures could include lacerations, bruising, or other signs of trauma.
Let a Biloxi Attorney Help Recover Hit and Run Accident Damages
Contact an attorney immediately after a hit-and-run accident, for it could be crucial for a person’s injury claim. Since initial consultations with Biloxi personal injury lawyers are always free, an attorney could advise you about your rights and what must be done to preserve evidence. Let a dedicated lawyer fight for your right to Biloxi hit and run accident damages.
