The goal of a personal injury lawsuit is to make the victim “whole” again—that is, to provide them with the financial resources they’ll need to undo as many of the effects of their injuries as possible. Complicating this goal, though, is the fact that not all of these effects have an obvious, quantifiable value. To address this, two primary categories of compensatory damages exist: pecuniary and non-pecuniary. Here’s what you need to know about these terms and how they could affect your personal injury suit.
Definition and Types of Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages aim to make the injured party “whole” again by providing financial restitution for losses from an accident or injury. These damages fall into two main categories: pecuniary and non-pecuniary.
Pecuniary damages, or special damages, cover tangible, quantifiable losses. These include medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. Courts can easily calculate these damages based on bills, receipts, and other documentary or testamentary evidence.
Non-pecuniary damages, often called general damages, encompass intangible losses, which are often harder to quantify. These include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress. Determining the value of non-pecuniary damages requires a more subjective approach.
Non-Pecuniary Damages: Assessing Pain and Suffering
Non-pecuniary damages aim to compensate for intangible losses that significantly impact the victim’s quality of life. Due to their subjective nature, they pose a greater challenge in personal injury cases.
Pain and suffering represent the most common form of non-pecuniary damages. This category encompasses both the physical and emotional discomfort caused by the injury.
When injuries lead to long-term impairments, they can make it hard for an accident victim to perform everyday tasks or take part in favorite activities. This loss of enjoyment of life constitutes another critical aspect of non-pecuniary damages.
Emotional distress can also form a significant component of non-pecuniary damages. This may include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or other psychological effects stemming from the injury or the incident that caused it.
Finally, a victim’s injuries can affect their relationships with their loved ones. In this case, those loved ones can pursue non-pecuniary damages to account for the loss of guidance, care, and companionship they’ve suffered as a result.
The Role of the Supreme Court in Determining Damages
The Supreme Court of Canada has played a pivotal role in shaping the approach to non-pecuniary damages in personal injury cases. In a series of landmark cases in 1978, the Court established guidelines for assessing non-pecuniary damages and set an upper limit on these awards.
Collectively, Andrews v. Grand & Toy Alberta Ltd., Arnold v. Teno, and Thornton v. School District No. 57 (Prince George) established a cap on non-pecuniary damages for catastrophic injuries. Initially set at $100,000, this cap has since been adjusted for inflation and currently stands at approximately $400,000.
The Supreme Court’s reasoning behind this cap aimed to prevent excessive awards and maintain consistency in national judgments. However, it’s important to note that this cap applies only to non-pecuniary damages and does not limit pecuniary damages or punitive damages in cases of egregious conduct.
Navigating the Legal Landscape: How Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
Navigating the complex world of personal injury law and damage calculations requires skill and experience. Personal injury lawyers are crucial in helping victims secure fair compensation that accounts for both their pecuniary and non-pecuniary losses.
Lawyers gather and present evidence, including medical records, expert testimony, and financial documents, to support claims for pecuniary damages. They also work with medical professionals and economists to project future costs and lost earnings.
For non-pecuniary damages, lawyers help clients document and articulate the impact of their injuries on their daily lives, relationships, and overall well-being. They may use expert witnesses, such as psychologists or life care planners, to support claims for pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Future Care Costs and Long-Term Financial Impact of Injuries
Serious injuries often result in long-term or lifelong consequences, necessitating ongoing care and support. In such cases, calculating future care costs is a critical component of pecuniary damages.
Future care costs may include continued use of prescription medications, rehabilitation services, personal care assistance, and specialized equipment. Lawyers work with medical experts and life care planners to develop comprehensive future care plans, estimating the associated costs over the victim’s lifetime.
Another long-term effect of serious injuries is the victim’s loss of future earning capacity, especially for young people or those whose careers suffer permanent setbacks due to their injuries. Lawyers collaborate with vocational experts and economists to project these long-term financial losses and include them when calculating damages.
Rehabilitation and retraining costs also factor into long-term damage assessments. For victims who can no longer pursue their previous careers, these costs may include education or vocational training expenses to facilitate a career change.
The Importance of Thorough Documentation
Thorough documentation is crucial to successfully claiming both pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages. Victims should keep detailed records of all expenses related to their injury, including medical bills, receipts for medication and equipment, and documentation of lost wages.
For non-pecuniary damages, maintaining a daily journal can prove invaluable. Victims should record their pain levels, emotional state, and the impact of their injuries on daily activities and relationships. This documentation provides concrete evidence of the intangible losses suffered.
Balancing Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Damages
While pecuniary damages often form the foundation of personal injury claims, non-pecuniary damages can significantly impact the total amount of compensation available to a claimant. Lawyers must balance these two types of damages in order to cover all aspects of the victim’s losses, both now and in the future.
In some cases, non-pecuniary damages may exceed pecuniary damages, mainly when injuries result in severe pain and suffering or drastically reduce the victim’s quality of life. In other instances, extensive medical costs and lost earnings may increase pecuniary damages.
Seeking Professional Legal Guidance
If you or a loved one has suffered a personal injury, professional legal guidance is crucial to pursuing the money you need to move forward with your life. At Joshua Goldberg Law, we have the resources and experience to help you demand every dollar you deserve. Contact us today at 1-877-898-0777 or via our online form to schedule a consultation, and let us fight for your rights.
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