By filing a personal injury lawsuit, you could collect numerous kinds of compensation in civil court in California. You may be able to receive coverage for your medical expenses from the past and future, lost wages at work from the past and future, property damage, and emotional pain and suffering. Further, if a loved one passed away because of the accident, you could file a wrongful death lawsuit, which would enable you to collect compensation for funeral and burial expenses, pre-death medical bills and pain and suffering, and loss of consortium and savings or expected inheritance. Additionally, punitive damages are monetary compensation meant to punish the individual and prevent him from committing the actions again. These damages are purely monetary and are handed out when the defendant acted in gross negligence or intended to cause harm.