Woman awarded just enough to pay medical bills in lawsuit

The perception of those who initiate personal injury claims in South Carolina may be that such people are simply looking for a quick payday. What may be lost in this assumption is the fact that accidents (even seemingly mundane slips and falls) can produce devastating injuries that not only exact a heavy financial toll from victims, but an emotional one, as well. The net effect of such can be monetary deficits that one may simply not be able to afford on his or her own. In such a scenario, one might be left with no choice but to seek compensation.

The compensation gained through civil action may, however, be only enough to cover the exact expenses one was forced to deal with. Take the recent case of a Pennsylvania woman: she slipped and fell at a local store, and later required surgery to repair a meniscus tear in her knee. She sued the store of for liability and was awarded $7,481, or just enough to cover the costs of her injury. In an appeal, the woman argued that the judge who initially heard the case did not let the jury know that they could consider the weight of the evidence against the store when deciding how much she should receive. The appellate court, however, upheld the earlier ruling.

Each personal injury case is unique, and thus it may be impossible to put a limit (or a minimum) on the amount that one should be rewarded through litigation. This should not dissuade those who need compensation through a liability claim from seeking it, as whatever they might earn may go a long way in easing the burdens left by an accident. People thinking about initiating such claims may first want to seek the guidance of an experienced attorney.