As a Cleveland, Ohio car accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I am often asked about the legal concept of “money for damages,” i.e. taking money from an individual or corporation that has caused harm by their negligence and giving it to the person that has been harmed. In a perfect system we could snap our fingers, the motor vehicle accident or other incident would have never happened, the plaintiff would not have been hurt, and there would be no need for a car accident settlement or trial. But unfortunately that is not an option. A wrong has occurred. And in our society and in our system of justice, we right wrongs.
In our criminal system, jail time is the common tool used across the country, in Ohio, and in greater Cleveland to achieve a sense of justice. The system is not perfect – sending a criminal defendant to jail for domestic violence does not and cannot ever take away the pain, suffering, and emotional distress that the abused spouse has been through. But, it’s the tool that we have as a society to recognize that an injustice has been done, to hold the responsible party accountable, and to achieve somewhat of a sense of balance and justice in the best way we can. This is where the idea of the scales of justice comes from.
The concept transfers over to civil personal injury cases like the cases that I handle every day. In our civil system, the tool that we use to achieve a sense of justice is money. Just like the criminal system, it’s not perfect. It does not and cannot take away the pain, suffering, and emotional distress that civil plaintiffs have been through. But it’s the tool that we have as a society to recognize that an injustice has been done, to hold the responsible party accountable, and to achieve somewhat of a sense of balance and justice in the best way we can.
If you have been the victim of personal injury, contact Dodosh Law Offices, LLC at 844-253-5291. Or, you can fill out a contact form and Attorney Dodosh will get in touch with you.