What Are Considered Damages in Florida Car Accident Cases?

Compensatory damages are the most common form of damages awarded to car accident victims in South Florida. There are two types of compensatory damages: economic and non-economic. A common misconception between the two forms is that non-economic damages are non-monetary awards. However, the key difference between the two is that non-economic damages compensate a victim for injuries that cannot easily be reduced to a dollar figure. An experienced car accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale can help a victim determine the best path to distinguish and obtain compensatory damages from a negligent driver. For example, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and emotional distress are non-economic damages because they are not easily calculated in terms of dollars and cents. On the other hand, economic damages, such as medical expenses, lost profits, and loss of future earnings are calculated using payment stubs or billing statements from medical facilities that treated the victim. If you’ve incurred any damages from a car accident in South Florida and aren’t sure if you should be compensated for any non-economic damages, then contact our firm for a consultation to assess if we can help you financially recover for both forms of compensatory damages.

For more information, see Montesinos v. Zapata, 43 So. 3d 97 (Fla. 3d DCA 2010).