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Damages in Chicago bus accident cases can allow those affected to start rebuilding their lives after a death or serious injury. Whether you were involved in a bus crash yourself or lost a loved one, you are probably dealing with lost income and substantial medical expenses on top of your emotional pain. Damages hold the responsible party accountable while easing your financial stress. An attorney experienced in bus crashes can review your case and give you an estimate of the compensation you might receive.
Bus accident cases are a type of personal injury lawsuit. In a personal injury case, damages fall into two categories, compensatory and punitive. Compensatory damages are designed to compensate the injured person for their losses, and they can be further divided into economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are based on the specific expenses the injured person incurs because of the accident. These include medical bills, lost wages, and the cost of services like house cleaning that the injured person is no longer able to do on their own. If the accident caused a long-term disability or death, economic damages can include lost future income as well. Non-economic damages provide compensation for mental and emotional suffering, including pain, emotional distress, and loss of companionship in a wrongful death case.
Punitive damages are designed to punish the person responsible rather than compensate the victim. They are less common than compensatory damages but are awarded in some bus accident cases. Illinois does not set any limits on the amount of damages an injured person can receive.
Economic compensation is usually the most objective type. These damages will be based on the person’s actual costs, so they will depend on how much medical treatment they need and how much the accident affected their ability to work. Injured people who did not need to be admitted to the hospital and could return to work relatively quickly would receive less than those who spent weeks in the hospital and became permanently disabled.
Non-economic compensation is more subjective, but it also depends on how seriously the person was injured. Courts usually take the economic damages as a starting point and assign a multiplier to calculate the non-economic damages. Factors like losing a young spouse or developing severe chronic pain would usually mean receiving more non-economic damages.
Statute 735 ILCS 5/2-1115.05 specifies that punitive damages are only awarded when the responsible person was reckless or malicious. These damages are not usually available for bus accidents, but they can be awarded in some cases like if a drunk driver caused the accident. Punitive damages would be awarded in addition to the compensatory damages the injured person received.
Damages in Chicago bus accident cases can be based on several subjective and objective factors. If you were injured in a bus accident and are considering filing a lawsuit, you may have no idea how much compensation to expect. Discussing your case with an attorney is the best way to get an informed estimate so you can decide how to move forward. Schedule a consultation with McCready Law Injury Attorneys today.