The amount of damages that a personal injury attorney in California may seek for a client is limited to restoring victims to where they were prior to the event or compensating victims for their actual losses. In California, damages awarded in personal injury cases typically fall into two basic categories. Both types of damages are commonly referred to actual damages or compensatory damages.

The two types of damages are:

• special damages (also known as economic damages); and
• general damages (also known as non-economic damages).

Special or economic damages typically refer to out-of-pocket costs that may be documented and proven with a degree of reasonable certainty. These damages generally include medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, and loss of future earning capacity.

If the injured party has suffered some long-term, debilitating injury, special damages may also include the costs of nursing care as well as physical and vocational rehabilitation. Documenting future out-of-pocket losses and establishing these types of damages with reasonable certainty often require the help of a qualified personal injury attorney and even the assistance of experts.

As California law provides for reasonable compensation of all actual damages, the Montefalcon Law Office may assist in obtaining rights for negligence victims by offering professional legal assistance. Contact us online or schedule a free consultation at any of our three conveniently located offices. Telephone our downtown Sacramento office at (916) 444 0440, our south Sacramento office at (916) 399-9944, or our Concord office at (925) 222-5929.