Punitive Damages Provide Justice In Your Naples Personal Injury Lawsuit
Personal injuries in Naples can have devastating impacts on victims. Due to the reckless and negligent behavior of others, you could be left unable to provide for yourself and your loved ones while facing mounting medical expenses and other costs. Depending on the circumstances involved, you may be entitled to compensation in a personal injury lawsuit.
When you file an injury claim through the Collier County Court, this compensation is referred to as damages. Our Naples personal injury lawyer explains punitive damages in Florida, when they are available, and how they help punish those at fault and provide a sense of justice.
Punitive Damages In Florida Punish Those At Fault
When personal injuries in Naples happen, it is often due to the negligent behavior of others. You have the right to hold them liable for medical costs, lost wages, and other impacts you suffer as a result. In some cases, insurance may help offset your costs. In others, filing a lawsuit is the best option.
Under the Florida Statutes, there are three types of compensation available in a Naples personal injury lawsuit:
- Economic damages, covering medical bills, lost wages, and other actual costs;
- Non-economic damages, compensating you for your pain and suffering;
- Punitive damages, an additional amount that punishes the at-fault party involved.
Punitive damages in a Naples personal injury lawsuit can reach up to three times other compensation awarded or $500,000, whichever is greater. This amount is designed to penalize those at fault, provide a sense of justice to those injured, and send a message to others, hopefully preventing them from engaging in similarly dangerous behavior.
Punitive Damages In Your Naples Injury Claim
Punitive damages are available in personal injury lawsuits filed through the Collier County Civil Court, but there are limits. You must have suffered economic damages and while a jury determines the amount of punitive damages awarded, the judge has the right to overrule the decision if they deem it excessive. Punitive damages do not apply in every situation either.
In a Naples personal injury lawsuit, punitive damages are only available in cases where the at-fault party acted in a particularly willful and negligent manner. Examples of this include:
- A car accident caused by a driver who was drunk, drove significantly higher than posted speed limits, or otherwise took obviously dangerous risks;
- Property owners who are aware of hazards that pose potentially life-threatening personal injury risks but fail to address them or take precautions;
- Dog owners who know their pet poses serious risks to others but still fail to provide a leash or fencing;
- Product manufacturers who fail to pull dangerous toys from shelves.
Get The Legal Help You Need From Our Naples Personal Injury Lawyer
Negligence is at the heart of all Naples personal injury claims. Filing a lawsuit can provide a sense of justice and the compensation you need to recover. To discuss whether punitive damages are available in your particular case, contact Cardinal Law Firm. Request a consultation with our Naples personal injury lawyer today.
Source:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0768/Sections/0768.72.html
collierclerk.com/court-divisions/civil-court/
