Santa Ana, CA personal injury attorney Dan Callahan talks about the type of damages you can recover for your injuries. He explains that in personal injury cases, plaintiffs are generally entitled to compensation for the bodily injuries they sustain, as well as for the emotional distress resulting from the incident. In addition to these primary damages, they can recover for economic losses, such as lost income if they are unable to work—for example, being out of work for several months. Medical expenses incurred as a result of the injury are also reimbursable, ensuring that the plaintiff’s direct costs and financial losses are covered.

Punitive damages, however, are rare in typical bodily injury cases. To obtain them, the defendant’s conduct must be found to be malicious, oppressive, or fraudulent—circumstances that seldom arise in standard personal injury claims. Overall, the available damages for a typical plaintiff include bodily injury, emotional distress, lost income, and medical expenses.