A lot can happen after an accident. A victim may be severely injured and taken to a hospital. Their injuries may require extensive medical procedures and care. They may not be able to work for weeks — or months — while they recover from their injuries. Medical bills, lost wages and growing financial obligations can quickly build up.
Accordingly, the victim of a personal injury caused by someone else’s negligence may be entitled to compensation for their injuries and losses. A successful personal injury claim can include both economic and non-economic damages. Here is what you should know:
Economic damages
Economic damages include any tangible losses a person may suffer from after a personal injury. Some common types of economic damages include:
- Medical bills: A victim may have needed medical care after an accident. Hospital stays, surgeries, physical rehabilitation and other medical costs to care for injuries can lead to extensive medical debt. A victim may also suffer from future medical expenses, such as medication, future treatments and durable medical equipment.
- Property damage: An accident may have caused damage to a victim’s property, such as their vehicle. A victim’s property may need to be repaired or replaced, which is another expense that can be compensated.
- Lost wages: A victim may struggle to work after their personal injury. The victim could lose time at work or their ability to work in the same field after an accident, and those future lost wages are also a quantifiable loss.
- Funeral expenses: If a victim suffered fatal injuries after an accident, surviving family members may be entitled to damages for burial or cremation and other funeral expenses.
Economic damages can be identified with bills and receipts. In the case of future economic losses, such as lost career options and lost lifetime earnings, experts may be needed to provide estimates.
Non-economic damages
Non-economic damages refer to intangible losses. For example, a victim may suffer from depression after suffering serious injuries, which could impact their standard of living. Other types of non-economic damages include post-traumatic stress disorder, pain and suffering and mental anguish. A victim may be entitled to a certain amount of compensation for their non-economic damages, although this amount is usually heavily tied to the economic losses they’ve suffered.
Professional legal guidance can help victims identify losses caused by a personal injury — and encourage insurers to pay what is fair.