The gravity of an injury is crucial in determining a reasonable amount for compensation. Minor injuries will merit correspondingly small awards since they can heal relatively fast. Major injuries will get higher amounts to cover treatments,rehabilitation,and other expenses. Below are some of the criteria for the New York serious injury threshold (car accident attorney NYC):
Bone Fractures
Plenty of accidents result in fractures. People could slip and fall on slippery ground. If they have a bad landing,then they could suffer from a broken back,skull,hip,and so on. Bone fractures are usually considered as serious injuries.
Lost Body Part
Losing part of your body is undoubtedly traumatic,particularly if it is something that you use every day. For example,a machine operator may get his fingers stuck in a machine or a motorist may need to have his legs amputated after a car crash. These loses will limit their productivity,mobility,and quality of life. They deserve to get higher compensation than usual.
Significant Disfigurement
This is quite vague in comparison to the other criteria. It is up to the courts to appreciate the level of disfigurement and judge if it is significant enough to be elevated to the status of a serious injury. Examples of disfigurement include acid attacks and other unwelcome changes that were chemically-induced. Cosmetic operations that went wrong may also be included in this category.
Wrongful Death
It can be argued that no injury is worse than something that results in death. Wrongful deaths can happen in many ways. If a motorist dies in crash,then the surviving family members may sue the liable party with help from a accident lawyer. If a patient dies due to a surgical or medication error,then the doctor can be sued. If a product proves to be fatally defective,then the manufacturer or seller could be forced to pay for the damages.