Damages are broken down into three categories in Illinois:
Economic Damages – These cover all financial costs, including all medical expenses, lost wages from missing work, property damage, the cost of installing special equipment in your home to deal with your injuries, etc.
Non-economic Damages – These types of damages are often referred to as “pain and suffering” because it attempts to compensate accident victims for the intangible costs of an accident, like physical pain, emotional trauma, and inconvenience.
Punitive Damages – While economic damages and non-economic damages are considered compensatory in nature, punitive damages are intended to penalize the defendant for reckless or malicious behavior.