When it all boils down to a personal injury claim, there is one thing that is most important to everyone: the damages. You have suffered on a physical, emotional, and financial level when it comes to your injury case and now you’re seeking compensation so that you can keep up with costs and move forward with your life. Unfortunately, even though this is the outcome you’re looking for in your personal injury case, lots of people don’t know about the many damages that are available to them. Today we will take an in-depth look at damages and how they can make a difference in your life after you have been injured.
Monetary Losses (Special Damages)
Monetary losses are compensatory damages also known as special damages, which are meant to compensate you for your losses on a financial level. Some of these damages include the following:
Medical Expenses: This is one of the most popular types of damages, due to the fact that many people who have suffered an injury will receive some type of treatment. This can include anything from past and future care with your physician, rehabilitation costs, surgical costs, and any needs that you will require in the future.
Disability Costs: What happens if your disability has a huge impact on your life and now you are in a wheelchair for life or need in-home nursing care? This means big changes for your household, which you may not be able to afford on your own.
Lost Wages: Perhaps you have not been able to return to work after your injury, so now the bills are adding up. Lost earning capacity in the future is also very important and you could be compensated for these aspects.
Funeral Expenses: If a loved one has passed away due to an accident, the family can file a wrongful death suit and be compensated for the funeral.
Non-Monetary Losses (General Damages)
General damages, or non-monetary losses, are a bit more difficult to prove. This is because it becomes difficult to place a number on these losses. Some of them include:
Pain and Suffering: Pain and suffering damages include aspects like actual pain that you feel on a daily basis due to your injury, compensation for emotional distress like fear and anger relating to your accident, and loss of enjoyment of life when you no longer feel happy about life ever since you have gained your injury.
Loss of Consortium: These are damages rewarded to your spouse after you have suffered an injury. These unique damages give compensation to a spouse who has lost affection, comfort, and companionship due to the injury. Perhaps you are paralyzed and must use a wheelchair and now your relationship won’t be the same in many ways.
Punitive Damages
Lastly, there are damages known as punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant for their extremely reckless behavior. For example, what if a truck driver was drinking while on the job and got into a catastrophic accident with you, leaving you with horrific injuries you will have for the rest of your life? Punitive damages not only punish the driver but also show other drivers that this could happen to them if they drink and drive. You should note that punitive damages are only awarded in the most reckless cases.
As you can see, there are many types of damages available in an injury case. Now you may have a better idea of which damages apply to your case and how you can work toward bringing a claim for the specifics that a negligent party owes you. We want to help you every step of the way at the Nye Law Group. Give us a call today for more information at 855-636-9277.
Sources:
https://www.justia.com/trials-litigation/docs/personal-injury-damages.html
