There are three basic categories of damages in a Texas personal injury claim:
Compensatory Damages (Economic Damages): There are many types of damages that can be measured following an accident under personal injury law. These include medical care costs (medical bills), lost wages and earnings, lost future earning capacity, and property damage. Because you have one opportunity to pursue damages in a claim, it is critical to correctly calculate the effects of an injury and accurately estimate future care needs, so that you can be fairly compensated.
General Damages (Non-Economic Damages): General damages compensate victims and their families for the substantial pain and suffering, and emotional effects of an accident, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, loss of companionship, and grief.
Punitive Damages: In rare cases of extreme negligence, punitive damages may be requested and awarded by a judge to punish the defendant. In Texas, punitive damages are capped by statute and cannot exceed twice the amount of economic damages plus the amount of non-economic damages, and in no situation may they exceed $750,000.