Catastrophic injuries usually result in long-term, expensive medical costs and disabilities that affect your income.
If you or someone you love has suffered a catastrophic injury due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, you need a catastrophic injury lawyer in Baton Rouge to help you recover maximum compensation for your damages.
Many states have established caps on the amount of damages an injury victim can recover for certain types of claims. Fortunately, Louisiana does not limit recovery of damages in most catastrophic injury cases. There are no caps on catastrophic injury claims arising from car accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, defective product injuries, and many others.
When Are Damages Capped in Louisiana?
Louisiana only limits damage recovery in two types of cases. Damages are capped at $500,000 for medical malpractice claims and claims against a government entity. However, there are some exceptions to these caps.
Louisiana law caps medical malpractice damages at $500,000 for qualified and certified health care providers. This limit, however, does not apply if the health care provider is not qualified, nor does it apply to any future necessary medical expenses.
Understanding these exceptions is crucial, and a catastrophic injury attorney can help you determine whether caps apply to your specific case.
Damages That Are Not Capped in Louisiana
Damages are not capped for catastrophic injury claims arising from car accidents and most other types of personal injury claims.
The amount and type of compensation you can recover depend on numerous factors. However, in a successful catastrophic injury claim, you could recover economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages include:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Current and future lost wages
- Property damage
- The cost of modifications to your home or vehicle required due to your injuries
- The cost of therapy and rehabilitation services
- Durable medical equipment
- Other financial costs and losses incurred due to your accident and injuries
Non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Permanent disability
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Other intangible losses and costs incurred due to your accident and injuries
In rare cases, you could also be awarded punitive damages in addition to economic and non-economic damages.
However, Louisiana law prohibits punitive damages unless specifically provided for by statute. For example, if an intoxicated driver caused your injuries, punitive damages could be appropriate as outlined in Louisiana Civil Code Article 2315.4. A skilled catastrophic injury lawyer can evaluate whether your case qualifies for punitive damages.
Calculating Damages For Catastrophic Injury Cases
You should never accept a settlement offer before understanding the extent and true value of your damages. In catastrophic injury cases, the future damages can be astronomical.
At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, we often work with economic and medical experts to help identify and accurately value all current and future economic and non-economic damages so you know what a fair settlement of your claim would be.
Our Baton Rouge catastrophic injury lawyers have the experience, resources, and skills to establish and accurately calculate your damages and help you recover maximum compensation.
Schedule a Free Consultation Today With a Baton Rouge Catastrophic Injury Attorney
If you or someone you love has been injured in a catastrophic accident, you need to recover every dollar you are entitled to.
At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, our team of catastrophic injury lawyers genuinely cares about your well-being and wants to help you move forward after a devastating accident by building your strongest case and helping you recover the full value of your damages.
Call a skilled catastrophic injury attorney in Baton Rouge today at (225) 999-1111 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation and discuss your case.