Automobile accidents are painful, stressful, and expensive. Even seemingly unimportant incidents can leave you with unmanageable emotional harm, medical expenses, and lost pay. However, if the car accident wasn’t entirely your fault, you can be entitled to financial compensation for your losses. You will need a lawyer to claim damages successfully. In the initial consultation with a lawyer, the attorney will discuss the typical injuries sustained in auto collisions and how they can assist you in pursuing compensation for them after the crash.
Never pay for your automobile accident losses out of your own wallet if your accident was caused by someone else. As an alternative, you should always aim to get paid as much as you can. Click here for more information regarding the damages associated with car accidents and how a lawyer can help you recover them.
Types of damages you can recover in a car accident case
Economic damages
Economic damages are the most basic type of damage you can recover in a car accident. Economic damages are the financial losses you incur as a result of a car accident, such as medical bills and property damages.
Non-economic damages
Non-economic damages are the non-financial losses of the victim related to the car accident. Non-economic damages are not as straightforward as economic damages since there is no clear idea of the actual losses. Some examples of non-economic damages are emotional trauma, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of quality of life, etc.
Punitive damages
Punitive damages or exemplary damages are not awarded for any direct loss incurred by the victim but to punish the defendant. Punitive damages are rare case damages awarded to prevent the defendant from engaging in such behaviors in the future. Punitive damages are determined by the judge. It is only awarded if the defendant’s action were particularly severe or intentional. You can obtain punitive damages only if you have an experienced lawyer by your side.
Emotional trauma and distress
The majority of people consider emotional trauma, pain, and distress to be non-financial harm resulting from a vehicle accident. The non-economic damages resulting from injuries received in a car accident or from someone else’s negligence, however, are much more extensive. Personal injury attorneys can file a claim for the sufferings and injuries of victims of a car accident that go beyond simple financial losses.
The effects on a person’s way of life can be severe following a car accident. It’s crucial to realize that an automobile accident that happened in a matter of seconds might have long-term effects on a person. As a result, the accident and injury attorneys constantly account for past and future disabilities, loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, and other damages particular to you, your family, and your way of life.
Disfigurement
A car accident or other act of negligence may cause disfigurement, which is another non-economic form of damage. Disfigurement can range from a minor scar on the leg to something more serious, like a facial scar. Face deformity following an automobile accident is common. Personal injury attorneys typically advise consulting with a qualified health care practitioner, such as a cosmetic surgeon or other medical professionals, in these situations, as well as the majority of them. This will enable your personal injury attorney to thoroughly assess your case based on permanence, future medical requirements, deformity, and future medical expenses.
Loss of enjoyment
You can claim non-economic damages for the loss of enjoyment you obtained due to the car accident. Any activity you were doing before the accident that you can’t do anymore can be considered a loss of enjoyment. It is not fair for the victim to lose their enjoyment due to another’s negligence. It is important to claim for loss of enjoyment too.
Pain and suffering
You got compensation for the medical treatments you received for your injuries, but what about the pain you incurred? Of course, if you have suffered from injuries, you will definitely feel pain. Injuries not only cause you financial losses but also non-financial losses. It causes you physical pain and agony. The pain you incurred due to another’s negligence should never go unpunished. You must include your pain and suffering when you calculate losses. However, it is not an easy task to assign a value to non-economic losses. You will need the help of an experienced lawyer to calculate non-economic losses.
Importance of hiring a lawyer to claim non-economical damages
When it comes to economic damages, you have a clear number on your hands. You know how much you have lost because you will have the bills for it. But non-economical damages are not that simple to calculate. There is no proper way to determine non-financial losses. When you are unaware of your losses, insurance companies can take advantage of you easily. They will be looking to lowball you already, and when you are unaware of your losses, you are basically getting ready to get scammed by insurance companies.
This is why hiring a lawyer is a must. A lawyer can advise you on what type of damages you can go for and can calculate your losses perfectly. With the help of a lawyer, you can even go for punitive damages in some cases.
Final thoughts
It is impossible to disregard the non-financial components of your issue. The value of a person’s claims for pain and suffering, disabilities, and disfigurement frequently outweighs the price of automobile repairs and the cost of any necessary medical care as a result of a car accident.
Non-economic losses might occur from your injury and include both physical and mental anguish, as well as the permanent or significant loss of an essential physiological function or changes to your physical appearance. Beyond these, there are cases like disfigurement, scarring that won’t go away, and even death. These losses are more difficult to value. Although they do not directly affect your finances, they have a big impact on your quality of life. A legal team that is aware of how to calculate non-economic damages can assist in obtaining fair recompense.
