Identifying and Quantifying Non-Economic Damages When There is Physical Injury.

Costs for past and future medical expenses

Non-economic damages or pain and suffering damages

Many personal injury law firms focus on the “obvious” physical injury itself rather than listening to the client and understanding all aspects of their injuries, physically, emotionally and mentally and truly understand and learn how our client’s daily life is affected and at no fault of their own.

At Giroux Pappas Trial Attorneys, we are client driven and our main focus is ensuring our client’s receive the compensation they deserve!

Prior Case

Bob Giroux represented a young man who was wrongfully stopped by two patrol officers after which the young man was punched in the head. The young man was then arrested and held overnight in police custody.

After being released the following morning without any medical treatment throughout the night, he went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with a fractured jaw. Fortunately, the young man’s jaw healed approximately 6-8 weeks without any residual problems.

Prior to trial, the defense attorney continually argued that the case was one of limited damages due to the client’s recovery and as such, the defendant offered little money to settle the case. Believing that that case was about much more than a broken jaw, with the permission of the client, we rejected the settlement offer and proceeded to trial.

Economic Damages vs. Non-Economic Damages

Economic Damages include costs for past and future medical expenses, past and future lost wages, household services, attendant care services, vocational rehabilitation, home modifications, transportation and in some cases survivor’s loss benefits.

Insurance companies always attempt to deny paying some or all of these benefits even when it seems clear that they should. Giroux Pappas Trial Attorneys understand the game  insurance companies try to play and we are aggressive in securing every dollar you deserve.

Non-Economic Damages include pain and suffering, emotional anguish, humiliation, reputational damage, loss of enjoyment of activities, excess wage loss and worsening or aggravation of a prior injury or condition.

Although these losses are harder to quantify, it is essential that you select a firm that has a history of obtaining high settlements and verdicts. Understanding the value of a case is something that we take great pride in and litigating a case from the very beginning with a trial first mentality only shows the defense side that we mean business and that we are not willing to take less.

The Importance of Non-Economic Damages in Limited Physical Injury

In the case referenced above, valuing the non-economic damages is incredibly important.

While you may not suffer significant physical injuries, the mental and emotional injury can be enormous. In our client’s case, while he was able to overcome his physical injury to his jaw, it does not negate the abusive treatment and egregious behavior made by the two police officers which led to emotional and mental issues.

For our client, it was not only about receiving just compensation; it was about ensuring that this type of behavior by these two officers will not be tolerated.

At trial, the defense attorney minimized our client’s injury and the recovery time. We brought the focus back to where it belonged and reminded the jury that nobody should endure this type of egregious behavior and remained focused on the mental and emotional anguish our client suffered and will continue to suffer for years to come.

How We Presented The Case

During the trial, we spent time showing incident footage breaking it down piece by piece, cross-examining the defendants and many witnesses, destroying the “picture” that the defense was trying to portray.

In the end, the jury agreed with our position and awarded our client $2.5 million dollars.

Let Us Fight For Your Rights

We know that in many cases, the suffering our client’s encounter is incredibly difficult. That is why it is important to select a law firm who understands, listens and cares; a law firm who is in your corner and aggressively advocates for you! 

Giroux Pappas Trial Attorneys have the reputation of handling thousands of complex personal injury cases because we have gained the trust of many as the law firm who is willing to fight for every dollar you deserve.

Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys takes pride in treating every client like a member of their own family because we understand that when your loved one is suffering they need a strong voice to help navigate them through the legal process and we won’t stop until we get the right result for you. If you need to speak with an attorney about your case do not hesitate to contact us, we are here to answer any questions you may have. The consultation is free.