Personal Injury Lawyer
When you’ve been injured in a car accident, understanding what you can claim as damages is essential to getting your life back on track. Sometimes these expenses come in the forms of things that can be easily translated into economic terms, like property damage. Others, such as pain and suffering, are harder to prove in a claim, but by no means are any less important. Learning what your case is worth by breaking down its damages can help determine how much money you should receive from the insurance company. Here are damages you can claim as expenses after your accident.
Compensatory Damages
Damages can be broken down into several categories. The broadest term for the damages you have suffered due to an accident is “compensatory damages,” which includes economic loss and physical and emotional suffering. You have the right to claim these things in an attempt to return your life to the way it was prior to the accident.
Special Damages
Falling under compensatory damages, special damages refer to the damage that can be enumerated based on their own economic value. Many losses can be claimed as special damages. For example, medical bills that you must pay to aid recovery are direct expenses, and therefore it is simple to ask for their exact value within your claim. Keeping strict documentation of all your medical costs like ambulance, hospital, physical therapy and lab test fees can help summate the value of your claim.
In addition to medical, you may be suffering from other expenses that you can’t afford. Not being able to work means you are losing a specific amount of money each month that you would have been making before the accident. Out-of-pocket expenses may be rental car, mileage, prescription and other aid fees.
General Damages
These kinds of damages cannot be pulled from an expense file, but rather are the other factors affecting a person’s life after the crash. Being in pain or substantial suffering from your injuries is worthy of compensation. Becoming emotionally disturbed or suffering from other mental problems can all be claimed.
Contacting a Lawyer
Many of these damages, general in particular, cannot be easily translated into monetary value. Insurance companies that are trying to pay as little as possible will likely challenge claims for pain and suffering. Having a good attorney, like a personal injury attorney, at the Morales Law Firm, who defends your rights is important in returning your life back to normal. Consider making an appointment with one to see how they can help you.
