Types of Personal Injury Compensation

You could be eligible for compensation if suffered an injury due to inattention or wrongdoing by another person. Contact an attorney who handles personal injury cases near you to learn more about the damages you may be entitled to.

There are two main types of damages that can be awarded in personal injury lawsuits which are economic and non-economic damages. This article will look at these categories and explain how they can impact the amount of compensation you are entitled to receive.

Economic Damages

A person could be entitled to financial compensation after being injured in an accident. These could include medical costs as well as lost wages and property damage.

In most cases, these types damages can be extremely expensive particularly in the case of serious injuries. This is due to the fact that they require intensive treatment. After recovering, patients might need to pay for mobility equipment or prescription medications.

These expenses can mount up quickly, which is why it is important to keep receipts of these expenses. Having these receipts will allow you to prove the true cost of your losses and boost the value of your compensation.

Other types of economic damages in personal injury law firms injury cases are loss of earnings and future income. This is because a victim might be without work for a period of weeks, months, or years after an accident. In this situation the award of compensation should reflect the amount the victim would have earned had they not been in a position to work.

If someone is disabled or the death of a family member occurs in the aftermath of an accident, the victim may be eligible to receive damages for services provided to the living. This could include home health care, nursing and physical therapy, among others.

Many people also need assistance doing the things that they did prior to their accident. These include house chores, driving a vehicle taking care of the outdoors as well as taking care of the family member who is dependent.

In these situations an attorney might be able to provide receipts, bills and other evidence of the value of these items. They can also hire experts to testify to the value of these damages.

The value of these damages could vary widely depending on the circumstances surrounding the accident as well as the specific needs of the victim. A jury will typically look at a variety of factors when determining an economic damages award.

Some examples of these damage could include:

Pain and suffering

The award is typically awarded to those injured in serious accidents who suffer physical or emotional injuries as a consequence of the accident. These awards can range from small (a couple of dollars for suffering and pain) to huge sums of money (millions of dollars in a case of wrongful death).

Emotional distress

This type of damage compensates victims for emotional stress resulting from an injury. This includes anxiety, depression, and loss in enjoyment.

Disfigurement

This can be given to someone who has suffered permanent disfigurement due to the accident. It can be very costly because many people require procedures and other treatments in order to repair or remove disfigurements.

Loss of companionship and consortium

This damages award is designed to provide compensation for the loss suffered by a loved person as a result. This is particularly crucial when the victim has children or other dependents.

Non-economic damages are a distinct part of the legal system apart as is economic damage, and are significantly less common. While they are subject to the burden of proof higher however, non-economic damages are typically more difficult to assess and are not subject to the same restrictions as economic damages.