The Five Most Common Damages in Personal Injury Claims

If you were injured due to another person’s negligence, you have the right to file a personal injury claim against the responsible party to seek compensation for the losses you suffered.

Depending on the kind of personal injury case and the severity of the injury, those losses could be both significant and varied so enlisting an experienced personal injury who can handle these claims is key.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common types of damages awarded in personal injury cases and what they encompass.

• Property damage: These damages can be significant in car accident cases, for example, when you will need to be compensated for the damage done to your vehicle and other personal property. If the vehicle is totaled, these losses could reach tens of thousands of dollars. But any time you have personal property damaged in relation to an injury case, you can seek compensation for those losses.
• Incurred medical expenses: You have the right to seek compensation for the medical expenses you incurred for treatment of your injuries, including hospital and ambulance bills and physical therapy costs.
• Lost wages and future income: Lost wages are calculated by determining how much work you missed while recovering from your injury. In addition, future income calculations will likely depend on the severity of the injury and what doctors say about your need for future treatment and your prognosis for reaching maximum medical improvement (and what maximum medical improvement might look like).
• Pain and suffering: You can seek compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced as a result of your accident. These types of damages are generally determined with a formula or calculator. The more severe the injury and its results, the more pain and suffering damage you stand to recover.
• Emotional distress: Emotional distress damages are similar to pain and suffering damages in that they cannot be quantified as easily as lost wages, property damage or incurred medical expenses, but they can become significant in particularly severe cases, especially if you suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder or other forms of mental illness as a result of your injury. These damages too will generally be determined via a formula.
• Punitive damages: While uncommon, courts may choose to apply punitive damages to personal injury claims. These kinds of damages are awarded when the conduct of the defendant was so egregiously negligent, reckless or intentional that the judge feels additional financial punishment is justified for the actions. Again, in particularly severe cases, these damages could be substantial.

To learn more about the types of compensation you can seek in a personal injury claim and your best strategies for maximizing your recovery, contact an experienced attorney at Bond Legal (866-423-7724) who can guide you through your case.