Many people assume that damages in an injury claim are like fines in a criminal case. But these things are different. Generally, criminal fines punish wrongdoers and civil damages compensate victims. If Julius hits his neighbor’s mailbox when he backs out of his driveway, Julius should pay to replace the mailbox. If Julius hits his neighbor’s car on the way to work, under Minnesota law, he must not only pay his neighbor’s economic losses. Julius is also responsible for noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Hitting a car and causing injury is a lot more expensive than hitting an inanimate object, like a mailbox. The average injury-related hospital bill exceeds $50,000, and that’s just the beginning. If the victim had to be airlifted to a hospital, the transportation expenses might be higher than the hospital bill. Additionally, victims usually miss additional work as they go through physical therapy. They must often also use medical devices and take prescription drugs. The available compensation does not reverse the events leading up to the accident. But, quite frankly, injury victims need money to put their lives back together. Our Stillwater personal injury lawyers help ensure that this money doesn’t come from the victim’s own pocket.