We’ve all heard that if you “break it, you pay for it.” This applies to car accidents as well. So if you’ve been hurt in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, you can receive compensation according to the law. Here are some of the recoverable damages you can recover in a car accident case.
Damages in a Vehicular Accident with Injuries
A negligent driver must pay for the harms, injuries, and damages that the victim incurred in a personal injury case according to the state’s laws where the accident occurred. The insurance company representatives may pretend that they don’t believe the accident affected the victim as severely as they pretend or try to make it challenging for a victim to present their claims.
Personal injury lawyers use the term “damages” to describe how the victim was harmed or lost money in wrongful death or personal injury cases. For example, suppose you experience one or more of these damages from your accident injuries. In that case, the state laws will allow you to recover funds to compensate you for medical bills, lost wages, and losses caused by the other party’s negligent conduct.
What Are Recoverable Damages?
Victims can expect different types of damages when they file a personal injury claim.
According to a car accident lawyer in Cincinnati, OH, actual damages include non-economic and economic damages. These damages are also known as compensatory damages and are given to the victim to correct a wrong action or compensate for an injury. Exemplary or punitive damages are not included in actual damages.
Economic damages are damages designed to compensate for the victim’s losses that can be calculated as a dollar amount. These damages can include:
- past and future medical bills related to treating the accident injury,
- past and future income loss,
- earning capacity if the victim has to miss work or can no longer work because of the accident,
- and property damage if the accident caused damage to the victim’s vehicle or personal items.
A victim can also sue for loss of property, including rental car expenses. If the victim used the vehicle for business purposes and has lost income due to the accident, this evidence is included in the personal injury case. Storage can also be included in damages if the victim’s car is towed from the accident scene has to be taken to a storage yard. Since the victim will have to pay storage fees, the victim may receive compensation for the storage bill.
Additional Recoverable Damages
In a personal injury case, the plaintiff can also sue for the total loss of property. For example, if your car was destroyed beyond repair, you can recover the value of the car based on the car’s worth just before the accident occurred.
The diminished value of the property is another form of damage that you can recover in a car accident case. For example, if your car has been repaired but now it worths less because it was in an accident, you can recover funds for the diminished value of the automobile.
Economic damages can also include loss of services. For example, if the person hurt in the accident is married and can no longer perform their regular household duties, they can recover funds for this inconvenience.
Noneconomic Damages
Noneconomic damages are awarded to the victims to compensate for emotional pain and anguish, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, disfigurement, physical impairment, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, and injury to reputation.
When a victim is no longer able to enjoy the activities they engaged in before the accident, are no longer able to be intimate with their spouse, or experience permanent or long-term physical impairment because of the accident, the courts will review the specifics of the victim’s case and award compensation accordingly.
Contact a car accident lawyer in your state to learn more about recoverable damages if you’ve been hurt in a vehicle collision. You’ll learn more about getting the settlement you deserve, so you’ll be fairly compensated for any injuries and damages you sustain. Working with a lawyer can also help you negotiate with insurance companies to ensure you get the maximum amount for your car accident.
