Florida Personal Injury Damages: Punitive and Compensatory

If you are injured in Florida as a result of someone else’s actions, you will likely want to pursue damages from that person or company for your injuries, medical bills, lost time from work, and other damages. But what are you entitled to and how does the court decide how much you receive? This can be a complicated scenario.

Two Types Of Compensation In Personal Injury Claims. There are two main kinds of damages: compensatory and punitive. Compensatory is the most common form of damages in personal injury claims. In cases in which serious injury or loss of life was caused by extreme negligence, punitive damages may be awarded.

If you visit the Florida Statutes, you will find that CHAPTER 768 – NEGLIGENCE – PART I – GENERAL PROVISIONS deals with torts, types of damages, limits and other relevant components in order to preserve order and a system that works for everyone.

What is a tort?

Tort: noun, Law. 1. a wrongful act, not including a breach of contract or trust, that results in injury to another’s person, property, reputation, or the like, and for which the injured party is entitled to compensation.

One interesting part of the Florida Statute states:     768.72 Pleading in civil actions; claim for punitive damages.
(1) In any civil action, no claim for punitive damages shall be permitted unless there is a reasonable showing by evidence in the record or proffered by the claimant which would provide a reasonable basis for recovery of such damages.

Florida Personal Injury AttorneysIf you are involved in a tort law situation, hopefully you have met with a qualified attorney and you have received competent advice on how to proceed.

Florida Personal Injury Attorney

The Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus believes every Floridian is entitled to competent representation when they are injured. We are pleased to offer a free consultation to discuss your options. Please call us at 954-356-0006.