Types of Personal Injury Compensation

If you've been injured as a result of the negligence or misconduct of another party, you may be entitled to compensation. Learn about the types of damages you may be awarded by speaking to a personal injury attorney near you.

There are two main types of damages that may be given in personal injury law firm injury cases including economic and non-economic damages. This article will go over these categories and explain how they might affect the amount of compensation you're entitled to.

Economic Damages

If a person is injured in an accident, they could be entitled to compensation for their losses. These damages could include medical expenses, lost earnings and property damage.

Often, these kinds of damages can be extremely costly especially in the event of serious injuries. This is because they require intensive treatment. When they recover, patients may require mobility equipment or prescription medications.

The cost of these expenses can be astronomical quickly, so it is essential to keep receipts for these expenses. These receipts will help you determine the true worth of your losses and personal injury attorney increase your compensation.

In personal injury cases, loss of earnings and future income are typical types of economic losses. This is due to the fact that a victim could be in a position of no work for months, weeks or even years following an accident. In these cases, the victim should receive the amount they would have earned if were able to work.

A victim who is disabled or has lost a loved one because of an accident may be entitled to damages for life-care services. These services include nursing, home health and physical therapy.

Many people require help to complete the tasks they used to do before their accident. These could include household chores, driving, taking care of the outdoors, and assisting a dependent family member.

In these instances an attorney might be competent to provide receipts and bills, and other proof of the cost of these items. They can also hire experts to testify on the worth of these damages.

The value of these damages can vary in a wide range depending on the circumstances surrounding the accident as well as the needs of the victim. In general, juries consider a wide range of factors when making an economic damages award.

Examples of these damage could include:

Pain and suffering

This award is usually awarded to those who have suffered serious injuries who have suffered emotional or personal injury attorney physical injuries as a consequence of the accident. These awards can range from small (a small amount of money for pain and suffering) to huge sums of money (millions of dollars in a case of wrongful death).

Emotional distress

This type of damages is aimed at compensating the emotional trauma that an injury can cause to the victim. This includes anxiety, depression and a loss of pleasure.

Disfigurement

A person who is injured and has suffered permanent damage as a result of an accident may receive this. It is costly as many require surgery and other treatments to correct or remove disfigurements.

Loss of consortium and companionship

The purpose of this damages award is to provide compensation for the loss suffered by the loved one due to the loss. This is especially relevant for those who have children or dependents.

The awarding of non-economic damages is a separate part of the legal system as opposed to economic damages, and is more difficult to obtain. Non-economic damages are subject to a higher burden of proof, however they are often more difficult to quantify than economic damages and aren't restricted by the same rules.