Types of Personal Injury Compensation
You could be qualified for compensation if suffered an injury due to the negligence or wrongdoing of a third party. Find out the kinds of damages you could be awarded by speaking to an attorney for personal injury near you.
In personal injury cases, there are two types of damages that can be sustained in the form of economic and non-economic. This article will go over these categories and explain how they may impact the amount of compensation you are legally entitled to.
Economic Damages
A person could be entitled to financial damages when they are injured in an accident. These could include medical costs along with lost wages and property damage.
Often, these types of damages can be extremely expensive particularly in the case of serious injuries. This is because they will require extensive treatment. In addition to hospitalization, patients may have to pay for prescription medications and mobility equipment while they recover.
These expenses can mount up quickly, so it is important to keep receipts of them. These receipts will help demonstrate the true value of your losses and increase your compensation.
Other common forms of economic damages in personal injury law firms injury cases comprise lost wages and future earnings. This is because victims may be out-of-work for weeks, months, or even for years following an accident. In these situations the victim must receive the amount they would have earned if could have worked.
If a person is disabled or someone in the family dies due to an accident, the victim may be entitled to compensation for services related to life. This could include nursing, home health and physical therapy, among others.
Many people also require assistance doing the things that they used to do before their accident. This includes house chores, driving a car as well as caring for the environment and caring for a dependent family member.
In these cases an attorney might be in a position to provide receipts, bills and other evidence of the cost of these items. They may also hire experts to testify on the worth of these damages.
These damages are valued differently depending on the specific requirements of the victim as well as the circumstances that led to the accident. A jury typically takes into consideration various factors when determining damages.
These damages can include:
Pain and suffering
It is usually given to those who have suffered from severe accidents who have suffered physical or emotional injuries due to the accident. These awards may be small (a few dollars for suffering) or substantial (millions in a case of wrongful death).
Emotional distress
This type of damage compensates victims for emotional trauma caused by an injury. This includes depression, anxiety and a loss of pleasure.
Disfigurement
This is a gift to an injured person who has been permanently disfigured because of the accident. This can be costly as many people require surgery and other procedures to correct or eliminate disfigurements.
Loss of companionship or consortium
The purpose of this award is to provide compensation for the loss suffered by someone you love due to the loss. This is especially important for those who have children or other dependents.
The awarding of non-economic damages is a separate part of the legal system that is distinct from economic damages, and is much rarer. While they can have a higher burden of evidence and are more difficult to prove, non-economic damages are generally more difficult to determine and are not subject to the same restrictions as economic damages.