Today’s #QuestionOfTheDay On #SmallClaimsCourt comes from Verletz A. can
you sue for negligence in
#SmallClaimsCourt and if so how much SK?
Thank you for your #QOTD on #SmallClaims #Court, I am not sure
if you are referring to personal injury or property damage from a car accident
so I’ll explain both to you and go into much detail as I can for you.
In a negligence case in which you suffer personal injury or
property damage because of the defendant’s negligence, you may also be able to
recover money for “conscious pain and suffering,” depending on how badly you
were hurt, in addition to lost wages, medical expenses. Most of the time cases
for personal injury are not heard in #SmallClaims court because small claims is
money damages.
Establishing pain and suffering is a more difficult undertaking
than establishing a cut-and-dried monetary "Money" claim. You must
produce medical records and medical testimony as well as establish documents of how much pain you suffered as a result of
the defendant’s negligence. Even than you still may not win your case as
#SmallClaims court was designed to sue for money damages so it is hard to prove
up pain and suffering in the small claims court system. For example in a auto
accident case you can sue for property damages to your vehicle also if you
missed work and medical expenses you can proof money loss for but just pain and
suffering you can't put a price tag, which why small claims court is not the
place to sue for pain and suffering.
Truthfully, the only personal injury cases I have seen go into
small claims court are those where the plaintiff doesn’t have a lawyer because:
·
The plaintiff is a difficult client — to put
it politely.
·
The defendant’s liability is difficult to
prove.
·
The injuries to the plaintiff are so inconsequential
that no lawyer wants to waste time taking the case.
Medical expenses, lost wages, and other out-of-pocket costs are
easy to prove if you have the proper documentation, but loss of enjoyment of
life and other similar damages are harder to evaluate and prove in a court of
law in the #SmallClaims court system..
Can you sue in #SmallClaims for Loss of enjoyment of life? This is a whole
another claim and court. A civil complaint for money is a separate complaint than physical or
mental pain and suffering. It refers to any damages that result in the plaintiff
being unable to participate in activities or pleasures of life as he could
previously. For example, a person who is paralyzed after being hit by a drunk
driver can claim loss of enjoyment of life because he can no longer play with
his children and is bed ridden and stuck in a wheelchair there equality of life
is gone. Small Claims court is not the court to sue for loss of enjoyment of
life in.
For instance, if a dog bites you, it’s normal to be afraid of
dogs. Bringing that statement into court will only result in a minimal damage
award, for instance the medical costs incurred and the monetary value of the
scar resulting from the bite or the stitches you received any value money
damages you can proof in reason to the judge from the dog biting you.
Is Your case as a result after a car accident
Damage to personal property also has it own rules and amounts
you can sue for. If your car is damaged in an accident, then the amount of
damages is the cost of repairs. You aren’t getting a new car from the accident;
you’re only getting the value of the car on the date of loss.
Several things can happen after a car accident:
·
You
accept the defendant’s insurance company’s estimate, and take the money it
determines it will cost to have the car repaired. In this case, you do not need to involve the
court. This is what insurance is for.
·
You
reject the insurance company’s estimate, pay for the repairs out-of-pocket, and
take the defendant to small claims court for the difference. You reject the insurance company’s
estimate but can’t afford to pay for the repairs until you collect from the
defendant.
·
The cost of repairs exceeds the value of the
vehicle Personal property damage
Trying to prove the value of old items of personal property is
difficult. What you paid for it is not the measure of damages, nor is what it
costs today to replace it. If you have a great deal of personal property
damaged, it pays to hire an insurance adjuster to prepare a statement as to the
value of the property on the date of loss, called actual cash value.
I hope I was able to answer your question. Small Claims
court rules and laws are much different than most thing and the court room is
not like judge Judy. It important to hire someone who knows what they are doing
because each court in California the rules and regulations are much different
in each court.
If you need help with a Small Claims lawsuit please visit
our website or call our office and we be more than happy to assist you.
www.ezsmallclaims.net
Our office number is (909) 986-0883 9AM-6 PM
