Types of Compensation After a Bicycle Crash
Compensation can come in the form of economic, non-economic, or punitive damages:
- Economic damages are measurable monetary costs, such as medical bills, loss of income, and costs to repair damaged property.
- Non-economic damages are more abstract and subjective, such as pain and suffering, emotional damage, and reduced quality of life.
- Punitive damages are rare and at the court’s discretion. They serve the purpose of punishing the defendant and deterring future similar action.
It is vital to keep in mind that California follows a pure comparative negligence model, which divides fault according to each party’s responsibility for the incident. A person’s damages will be reduced according to their level of negligence. If someone is 20% responsible for an incident, their damages will be reduced by 20%. Even if someone is 99% responsible, they may recover 1% of damages. An attorney in Bakersfield with a track record of winning bike collision cases could help you receive the maximum reward possible under the pure comparative negligence model.
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