Anyone who has ever sustained a serious injury from irresponsible actions knows that money alone cannot erase all the negative consequences their injury will have on their life. That said, demanding fair financial recovery for the harm you sustained in a bus crash can be key to maximizing your physical and personal well-being for years to come, especially if the crash left you with a debilitating or disfiguring injury.
The exact nature and value of damages in Mankato bus accident cases can vary greatly from person to person, but several key aspects of how damages work in these types of claims are consistent in almost every situation. Below are the basics about what you can potentially recover in a bus accident claim. A qualified bus accident attorney from Maschka, Riedy, Ries & Frentz Law Firm can explain this in more detail during a private initial consultation.
The most straightforward damages in most Mankato bus accident cases are economic damages, which can be assigned objective financial values based on evidence like bills, receipts, and invoices. Virtually every claim of this nature will need to incorporate both past and future medical expenses, but it is also possible to recover for things like missed work income, lost earning capacity, personal property damage, and out-of-pocket expenses for things like wheelchairs and home/vehicle modifications.
Conversely, non-economic damages in bus accident claims are those that can only be valued subjectively based on each injured person’s experiences and needs in Mankato. These are often referred to as pain and suffering damages because physical pain and suffering is the archetypal example of a non-economic loss. Legal counsel can also help pursue damages for emotional anguish, psychological trauma, and lost enjoyment of life.
Technically, courts in Minnesota can impose punitive damages against defendants in personal injury claims specifically to punish them for extremely egregious misconduct. In practice, it is rare for these damages to play a role in a Mankato bus accident because they require the injured person to show someone else acted with deliberate disregard for their safety through clear and convincing evidence.
Unlike other states, Minnesota law does not artificially cap the total amount of money that a person injured in a bus accident can demand for ensuing economic and non-economic losses. However, there is a notable exception to that rule when it comes to suing a government entity over a public transit or school bus accident. In that type of claim, a defendant government entity cannot be made to pay more than $500,000 for each individual or a total of $1.5 million per occurrence (regardless of the number of injured persons) for all harm sustained in a bus accident in Mankato.
Even if you have a broad idea of what kinds of losses you have sustained from a bus wreck and who is to blame for causing those losses, turning that basic knowledge into a successful civil case result is far from simple.
Working closely with a compassionate and local legal professional can make a huge difference in your ability to recover your damages in a Mankato bus accident case. Call today to discuss your legal options with a practiced attorney.
