Different Types of Damages in a Personal Injury Case

When involved in a personal injury suit, you come to a lawyer to have them fight for your right to compensation due to the other party's negligence. Compensation is often provided to victims in the form of a monetary award. The compensation is meant to help alleviate the costs and effects that arise from a collision.  The two types of compensation victims of automobile accidents are most often awarded fall under the two main categories of economic damages and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages:

Economic damages take into account the financial losses you have suffered due to your injuries, medical bill expenses and lost wages while out of work. These damages are awarded to offset present and future costs, expenses and losses resulting from the car accident.

• Immediate medical expenses such as hospitalization, ambulance and emergency room fees, surgery, medical devices and equipment, and medication
• Future medical costs such as rehabilitation, nursing care or therapy
• Property damage
  • Real Property: land and the objects permanently attached to the land [Ex: Houses, Trees, Fences, Crops, Buildings]
  • Personal Property (chattels}: other property, specifically property that is moveable [Car, Furniture, Backpack, Refrigerator]
• Lost income
• Reduced earning capacity
• Modifications to the home to accommodate a permanent disability
• Funeral and burial expenses in cases of fatal accidents

What do you need to have to prove economic damages have occurred?

Documentation, such as receipt, bills, invoice, paystubs, medical documents, records from similar personal injury lawsuits

Non-Economic Damages:

These types of damages are personal, intangible damages that do not have a set value attached to them.

• Pain and suffering
• PTSD
• Anxiety
• Mental Anguish
• Disfigurement
• Scarring
• Loss of quality or enjoyment of life
• Vehophobia; the pathological fear of driving for driving cases

Punitive Damages

A third potential category of damages are punitive damages. These are not often awarded, but when they are it is done with the sole intent of punishing the defendant for behavior that is inexcusable. An example for appropriate distribution of punitive damages would be if the at-fault driver was drunk or distracted at the time of the collision and caused disastrous injuries or death. In both of these instances the driver consciously decided to engage in behavior that could easily harm another person.

Pianko Law firm is dedicated to diligently and vigorously representing all of our clients who have become injured. We are proud to serve our clients in all areas of personal injury law and, we strongly believe in the commitment to serve and satisfy.

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