For physical elder abuse, the damages you would sue for depend on the severity, the type of injury, pain and suffering, future medical costs and then potentially depending on the scenario, punitive damages against the caretaker.
Q: What are punitive damages as they relate to elder abuse?
There is an amount of money that is not related to the injury, but it is meant to punish or deter people engaging in that type of activity. Sometimes, people call them exemplary damages to make an example out of that individual.
Q: What is pain and suffering in an elder abuse case?
Pain and suffering includes physical pain, as well as emotional distress. For example, it could be the same kind of pain and suffering you would get in an automobile accident.
Q: Does the age of the victim come into account when evaluating how much an elder abuse lawsuit may be worth?
Yes. For instance, if there is future pain and the individual has a short time to live, it affects the amount of damages. Because of this, you cannot accurately predict the amount of damages in these cases.
It depends on the facts and circumstances and variables such as the type of injuries and the severity of the injury, the medical costs, the future medical costs, and the pain and suffering.