Punitive Damages

In successful personal injury cases, the injured party typically receives compensation for damages, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, as well as loss of wages. Occasionally, however, the court determines that the guilty party should be punished for their actions, so they are required to pay punitive damages, which is typically a large sum of money, in addition to compensatory damages.

If you or someone you know has been injured because of another party’s negligence or recklessness, you deserve to be compensated. Contact Austin personal injury lawyer Vic Feazell to discuss your legal options. Call 877-948-4842 today to schedule a free initial consultation.

The Purpose of Punitive Damages

Typically, punitive damages are only awarded to victims when the guilty party is a large corporation. Because large corporations would be able to pay off dozens of personal injury suits without being negatively affected, courts sometimes demand that a corporation must pay punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. Punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant for their egregious negligence or recklessness, and to provide them with enough incentive to fix the problem.

In order to fully understand punitive damages, consider the following example.

A corporation is dumping toxic waste into a nearby village’s water supply and people are getting sick because of it. Paying $1,000 in compensatory fees for the dozens of injured people would hardly affect the corporation. In fact, it may be significantly cheaper to pay off the victims than it would be to actually fix the problem. In this scenario, punitive damages may serve to punish the corporation as well as to provide them with the financial motivation to fix the problem.

Contact Us

If you have been the victim of another party’s negligence or recklessness, contact Austin personal injury lawyer Vic Feazell today at 877-948-4842 to discuss the details of your case with a legal professional.