When you are involved in an accident that is a result of wrongful or negligent actions of someone else, you will be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries. The purpose of recovering damages after an accident is to make sure that if you are injured in an accident caused by another person, you will receive enough money that at least puts you in the same position you were in prior to the accident. However, compensation is not just for covering medical bills, there is a wide range of areas that can be compensated for damages.
Here are a few of the different types of damages that are available to you for an injury case.
Medical Bills – Medical bills can encompass a large range of medical needs due to your accident. This can include physical therapy, home health care, medication, care from specialists, mobility devices and supplies such as braces, wraps and band aids.
Pain and suffering – Injuries sustained in an accident can have long-lasting and physically painful effects. This living with constant discomfort and pain is something you can be compensated for. Determining how money equates to pain will depend on the type of injury and the extent the injury is affecting you. You will usually need to discuss this with your attorney who can use their experience to help guide how to place a dollar value on your pain and suffering.
Emotional issues and distress – Accidents can be very traumatic to go through. You may have been in a situation that “just a second later” or “six inches closer” could be the difference of being dead or alive. You may also have scars, loss of limbs or dealing with a death from the accident that makes adjusting to life after the accident difficult. Depression, insomnia, anxiety and mood swings can be part of your life as you learn how to handle the emotional aspects of an accident.
Loss of use – If your injury is keeping you away from normal lifestyle choices that you are used to doing, you can ask for compensation for this loss. This can include biking, running, cooking or many other activities. This kind of damage recovery will be unique to you for the kind of routine physical or mental activities you used to enjoy.
Lost wages – When recovery time from an accident keeps you from working, you can ask for compensation to make up for lost wages from missing work. Calculations of what you can be owed not only come from the wages you missed out on, but also from bonuses, tips, commissions and secondary jobs.
The above list is just a sample of some of the most common types of damages you can receive compensation for after an accident that was due to another person’s negligence. If you have been in an accident that was not your fault, you should speak to a personal injury attorney to discuss how you can be compensated for any losses you have suffered.
