Types of Personal Injury Compensation

You may be qualified for compensation if suffered an injury as a result of the negligence or wrongdoing of a third person. Speak with a personal injury law firm injury lawyer near you to find out more about the potential damages you could be awarded.

There are two primary types of damages that can be given in personal injury cases including economic and non-economic damages. This article will explore these categories and explain how they could impact the amount of compensation you're entitled to receive.

Economic Damages

A person may be entitled to financial compensation should they be injured in an accident. These damages could include medical expenses, lost earnings and property damage.

These kinds of injuries can be expensive, particularly if there are serious injuries. This is due to the fact that they require intensive treatment. As they recover, victims may have to pay for mobility equipment or prescription medications.

These expenses can quickly grow This is why it is essential to keep receipts. These receipts can help you prove the true amount of your losses as well as increase the value of your compensation.

In personal injury cases, the loss of earnings and future earnings are the most common types of economic damages. This is because victims may be out of work for a number of months, weeks or even years after an accident. In these situations, the victim should receive the amount they could have earned if they could have worked.

If someone is disabled or someone in the family dies in the aftermath of an accident, the victim may be eligible to receive damages for services related to life. These services include nursing, home health and physical therapy.

Many people also require help doing the things that they did prior to their accident. These include household chores, driving a vehicle, taking care of the outdoors, and even providing care for someone in the family who is dependent.

In these cases an attorney might be in a position to provide receipts, bills and other proof of the cost of these items. They may also hire experts to testify on the worth of these damages.

These damages are valued differently based upon the specific needs of the victim and the circumstances surrounding the accident. A jury will typically take into consideration a variety of factors when determining an award for economic damages.

These damages can include:

Pain and suffering

It is usually granted to victims of serious accidents who suffer emotional or physical injuries due to the accident. These awards can range from relatively minor (a couple of dollars for pain and suffering) to huge sums of money (millions of dollars in a case of wrongful death).

Emotional distress

This type of damage compensates victims of emotional stress that is caused by an injury. This includes anxiety, depression and a loss of enjoyment.

Disfigurement

This could be given to an injured person who has suffered permanent disfigurement because of the accident. This can be very expensive as many people require surgeries and other treatments to treat or remove disfigurements.

The loss of companionship and the consortium

This damages award is designed to compensate for the loss of loved ones in the event of an accident. This is particularly important if the victim has children or other dependents.

Non-economic damages form a distinct part of the legal system apart from economic damage and is much less common. Non-economic damages are subject to a higher burden of proof, but they are often more difficult to determine than economic damages, and are not restricted by the same rules.