What Compensation Can You Expect in a Personal Injury Case?
If you have suffered a personal injury, you may feel suffocated by medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and more. Whether the wrongful party intended to harm you or was negligent, you deserve compensation for your injuries. Unfortunately, the insurance company is inclined to offer you less than you deserve, failing to understand your pain. Thankfully, at The Law Office of Mark C. Tanenbaum, P.A., our Charleston personal injury attorneys have dedicated their professional lives to helping injured individuals and are ready to put our knowledge and passion to work for you.
Types of Personal Injury Cases that Often Result in Compensation
Our Charleston personal injury lawyers commonly seek compensation in the following matters:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Slip-and-falls
- Inadequate security
- Dog bites
- Construction site accidents
- Products liability
- Catastrophic injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Wrongful death
Economic versus Non-economic Damages
Common economic damages, meaning financial losses you can measure directly, in a Charleston personal injury suit include:
- Loss of future earnings
- Hospitalizations
- Laboratory testing and/or medical imaging
- Surgeries and/or procedures
- Rehabilitative therapies, including physical therapy
- Medical equipment
- Home modifications
Common non-economic damages, which refer to losses that do not have a set dollar value, in a Charleston personal injury suit include:
- Infliction of emotional distress
- Loss of companionship and society
- Disfigurement and/or scarring
- Humiliation
- Damage to reputation
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Permanent disability
Cap on Medical Malpractice Damages
A personal injury creates more than physical and financial losses, also interfering with your personal relationships and mental and emotional health. Although there is no limit on non-economic damages in most personal injury cases, a cap applies in medical malpractice cases under SC Code §15-32-220(F). This cap is adjusted annually for inflation, with separate limitations for single- and multiple-provider arrangements. This limitation applies to for-profit, private healthcare providers.
How are Non-Economic Damages Calculated in a Personal Injury Case?
Non-economic damages constitute any emotional or psychological distress that you may experience due to a personal injury. At The Law Office of Mark C. Tanenbaum, P.A., our Charleston personal injury lawyers use the multiplier method to calculate these intangible losses. The multiplier method assigns a severity rating to your injuries (on a scale of 1.5 to 5). From there, that figure is multiplied by your total economic damages (lost wages, medical bills, and other out-of-pocket costs).
An example of the multiplier method is provided below in relation to a car accident case:
- [$25,000 of medical expenses] + [$5,000 of lost wages] + [$10,000 of vehicle repairs] = $40,000 total economic damages
- [$40,000 total economic damages] X [3 multiplier] = $120,000 pain and suffering damages
Our lawyers pay careful attention to detail, quantifying all your losses. Insurance companies often downplay injuries and offer less than is fair. Our team resists claims adjuster tactics and always seeks the compensation you deserve.
Contact Our Charleston Personal Injury Attorneys Today
If you or a loved one has recently been injured due to another’s fault, our Charleston personal injury lawyers are ready to help. For a free consultation, contact us online or call (843) 577-5100.