For most people, an auto accident is a life-changing event. The victims may sustain minor injuries but remember the ordeal for years. Unfortunately, others will have to endure the accident’s repercussions for years, whether physical, emotional, or financial.
Car accident injury lawyers consider these damages and can help victims receive compensation. This article will highlight three types of damages and how legal representation can help you calculate them and seek the right compensation.
You’re entitled to receive compensation for the damages in an auto accident if you can furnish proof of these damages. You also need to prove that the person you’re suing was responsible for causing or contributing to your accident. And to better understand your legal rights, it’s important for you to understand different types of damages you may face.
Economic damages
These are the tangible damages you can calculate and claim in an auto accident. Assume you got rear-ended and you weren’t at fault. You sustained some injuries and your vehicle suffered damages. So, what are the damage claims you can pursue? Considering the intensity of the accident, you can ask for an injury and property damage claim. These may include compensation for the following listed below.
- Lost wages: Your injuries can make you go on long bed rest with unpaid leave, leading to lost earnings. In such cases, you may prove your loss of income and seek compensation until you return to work. This ensures your earning capacity isn’t affected by the accident. After considering factors such as age, nature of the job, recovery time, experience, and life expectancy, your car accident injury lawyer can help you with the damage recovery process. Further, if the accident affects your chances of future occupation, you may claim additional compensation for diminished employment opportunities.
- Medical bills: You’re entitled to compensatory damages for the treatment of injuries sustained during the accident. Depending on the severity of the injuries, you can seek compensation for these medical expenses after a thorough medical examination: ambulance fees, hospital bills, pharmacy costs, major or minor treatment and surgeries, nursing care, physical or mental therapies, rehabilitation costs, medical accessories, along with any future medical expenses.
- Funeral costs: In case the victim doesn’t survive the accident, family members can appeal for substantial compensation for the last rites, funeral, burial, and loss of financial or emotional support. You can also file a wrongful death lawsuit against the defendant.
- Replacement/repair costs of vehicle: You’re eligible to demand monetary compensation for damages done to your vehicle and its components. This can be the cost of repair or replacement of the damaged vehicle. In case there was a valuable asset in the vehicle that was damaged during the accident, you can file for additional property damages.
Non-economic damages
Unlike economic damages, you may incur losses during an auto accident that can’t be quantified. However, the law states that the jury assigns a fair amount for non-economic damage claims based on several factors, such as the severity of injury caused, recovery time, and permanent impairment. Here are some examples of non-economic damages:
- Pain and suffering: It refers to the trauma endured as the result of someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing from the time of the injury through a trial, if needed, and the unforeseeable future.
- Emotional/psychological distress: You can also claim for your ongoing mental stress—both its impact on how you live your life, and that it’s directly tied to the physical damage you sustained because of the defendant’s actions.
- Physical deformities: Based on physical limitations you faced after the accident as established by doctors or life-care planners, the jury can come up with fair compensation for you to receive from the defendant.
- Loss of enjoyment of hobbies or life: The accident can even impact your capacity to take pleasure in certain pursuits, interests, hobbies, and life in general, and you may be able to seek compensation for the same. For instance, a road accident might make you no longer enjoy driving.
Punitive damages
Unlike other damages, punitive damage punishes and penalizes the offender rather than providing compensation to the victim. Normally, courts award punitive damages when misconduct significantly departs from ethical behavior and when wrongful acts are so malicious they merit punishment on their own. Driving negligently while inebriated, disobeying traffic regulations, and dangerous driving are a few examples under which the offender can be punished.
How a car accident lawyer can help you determine costs of damages
With the help of an expert auto accident attorney, you can claim compensation for both financial and emotional loss. They can help you gather strong evidence, evaluate the type and severity of injury sustained, and present a strong argument in front of the jury. An experienced car accident injury lawyer can help you seek rightful compensation for damages and negotiate a fair settlement with the defendant and insurance companies.
If you’re searching for an “auto accident attorney near me,” reach out to LegalASAP now. With our team of auto accident attorneys, we’ll match you with the right legal representation to seek the compensation you deserve for all your economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. You can also get your free auto accident evaluation to see if you may qualify.
