Being in a car accident is stressful. It’s not just stressful; it’s costly and painful. If you’ve been in one, you’d have to deal with lost income, medical bills, and several other costs. Recovering these damages could help you get your life back on track.
Talking about damages, damages is the legal term for the money you can receive for your losses and suffering caused by someone else’s negligence. They are meant to make you whole again, or as close to it as possible. There are different types and categories of damages that you may be entitled to, depending on the details of your case and how severe it is.
Let’s shed some light on the types of damages that you can recover through a car accident claim. The car accident attorneys at The Champion Firm and other such reliable firms help victims get the compensation they deserve.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the most basic and objective type of damage. They are based on the financial losses and expenses that you have suffered as a result of the car accident. They include:
- Medical bills: This covers the costs of any medical treatment, medication, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, or other healthcare services that you need or will need because of your injuries. It also includes the costs of any assistive devices, such as crutches, wheelchairs, or prosthetics. Think of it as your health insurance, but better.
- Lost income: This covers the income that you lost or will lose because of your injuries. It includes wages, salaries, tips, bonuses, commissions, or any other form of earnings that you would have received if you had not been injured. It also includes the loss of earning capacity, which is the reduced ability to earn income in the future because of your injuries. Think of it as your paycheck, but bigger.
- Property damage: This covers the costs of repairing or replacing your vehicle or any other personal property that was damaged or destroyed in the car accident. It also includes the loss of use of your property, which is the inconvenience and expense of renting or borrowing another vehicle or item while yours is being fixed or replaced.
- Out-of-pocket expenses: This covers any other expenses that you had to pay or will have to pay because of the car accident. It includes things like transportation costs, childcare costs, household services, or any other reasonable and necessary costs that you incurred or will incur as a result of your injuries.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are the more subjective and intangible types of damages. They are based on the non-financial losses and suffering that you experienced or will experience as a result of the car accident. They include:
- Pain and suffering: This covers the physical pain and discomfort that you endured or will endure because of your injuries. It also includes emotional distress, anxiety, depression, fear, anger, or any other negative feelings that you suffered or will suffer because of the car accident. It’s kind of like therapy, but you’re the one getting paid.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: This covers the loss of your ability to enjoy the activities, hobbies, interests, or pleasures that you used to enjoy before the car accident. It also includes the loss of your quality of life, happiness, or satisfaction.
- Loss of consortium: This covers the loss of your relationship with your spouse, partner, or family members because of your injuries. It includes the loss of companionship, affection, intimacy, support, or guidance that you used to receive or provide before the car accident.
- Disfigurement: This covers the permanent or lasting changes to your appearance or physical features because of your injuries. It includes scars, burns, amputations, or any other visible or noticeable alterations to your body.
- Disability: This covers the permanent or lasting impairment of your physical or mental abilities because of your injuries. It includes the loss of function, mobility, sensation, or cognition that affects your daily life.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are the rarest and most controversial type of damages. They are not based on your losses or suffering but on the conduct of the person who caused the car accident. They are meant to punish the person for their reckless, malicious, or fraudulent behavior and to deter them and others from doing it again. They are only awarded in cases where the person acted with gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing, such as drunk driving, road rage, or fleeing the scene. Think of it as revenge, but better.
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