The 2019 Virginia traffic crash facts issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Virginia Highway Safety Office show that the state had 128,172 total crashes that year. The number of injuries that year from Virginia traffic accidentswas over 65,000 and more than 800 lives were lost. Virginia Beach City had almost 6,000 of the total crashes that took place in the state of Virginia in 2019. The crashes that took place in Virginia Beach City resulted in 22 deaths and 3,160 injuries.
Not every accident will have catastrophic results but every accident has the potential to be completely devastating. Victims of Virginia Beach traffic accidents should have all of the damages that they had to endure included in their Norfolk personal injury claim. When you work with a Virginia Beach automobile accident attorney at Virginia Beach Injury Law, you can be sure that all damages you suffered will be encompassed in your claim. These damages can include the loss of wages when injuries make it impossible for a victim to work, medical costs associated with the treatment of bodily harm, property damages, as well as pain and suffering.
When Does A Virginia Beach Personal Injury Claim Include Punitive Damages?
Punitive damages are a separate form of monetary compensation that is used as a punishment for a defendant who was particularly reckless in their behavior. Punitive damages are not awarded often, the majority of Virginia personal injury claims will not include punitive damages. While punitive damages aren’t meant to help recover losses a victim suffered from an accident, they are meant to give a victim more financial compensation. This is because they deserve a higher level of compensation for the egregious accident experience they had to endure.
Examples of times when punitive damages may be added on to a settlement amount would include:
- An inebriated driver on either drugs, alcohol, or both causes an accident.
- A distracted driver who was putting more of their attention towards their phones than the road and their actions results in significant destruction.
- A driver who is traveling at extreme and unreasonable speeds.
When Virginia punitive damages are tacked onto a settlement amount, the court is trying to send a message to the defendant. The extra costs are meant to be substantial enough to deter the defendant from ever engaging in the same extremely careless behavior again. Not every state caps the amount of money that can be awarded for punitive damages. Virginia is a state that does have caps to the amount of money for punitive damages. In the state of Virginia, the cap is $350,000.
Speak with a Virginia Beach Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Today
If you were the victim of a catastrophic accident in Virginia you may have a case where punitive damages apply. To learn more about your options to obtain compensation and to get strategic legal guidance from an experienced Hampton catastrophic injury attorney, do not delay in calling Virginia Beach Injury Law. You can connect with Virginia Beach Injury Law to schedule your free consultation by calling (757) 802-4662.
