What does it mean to mitigate damages in a personal injury lawsuit? | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

When a victim is injured, they must take reasonable action to minimize the losses their injuries are causing them, such as medical bills, loss of income, and other expenses and losses associated with the injury. This is referred to as mitigating damages.

For example, when the victim seeks out medical treatment for their injury, it is expected they will not seek out a world-renowned medical provider, but will instead seek medical treatment from a qualified, local medical provider.