The answer to that question is going to depend on several factors. You’ll want to be sure to aggressively address each of them to maximize what you get out of your claim, but the process isn’t always as easy as it seems. In fact, in far too many car accident personal injury cases mistakes are made depriving victims of the financial resources they need. This can leave them with a stunted physical, emotional, and psychological recovery, and it can result in a dire financial predicament where they’re unable to work and earn the wages necessary to pay their living expenses.
With that in mind, in this post we want to look at the damages that you might be able to recover from your personal injury case and how you can prove your damages.
Recovering economic damages
Economic damages are those that are financial in nature. This includes your medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and lost wages. When analyzing these damages, be sure to include the losses you’ve already incurred as well as those that you expect. This is crucial given that it can take years to fully recover from a serious car accident. Some victims are even left with the need for long-term care and rehabilitation or are unable to return to work.
To prove your economic damages, you should consider doing the following:
- Seek out immediate medical care after your accident.
- Follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations.
- Don’t shy away from any mental health care you may need.
- Keep receipts and invoices tied to your recovery-related expenses.
- Gather your pay stubs.
- Talk to experts who can help you articulate your ongoing need for care and treatment, as well as what that’ll cost.
Be as thorough as you can here so that you’re not cut short in the compensation that you recover.
Recovering non-economic damages
Non-economic damages are those losses that you suffer to which it’s difficult to assign a monetary value. This includes pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement. Proving these damages can be a little more difficult, but they can also make up a significant portion of your lawsuit recovery. So, you’ll want to put forth significant effort in painting a picture of the extent of your non-economic damages.
To prove your non-economic damages, you’ll want to do the following:
- Keep a journal where you detail how your accident injuries have negatively affected your ability to live your normal life and enjoy the activities you love.
- Talk to witnesses who can attest to how you’ve changed since suffering your accident injuries.
- Gathering your mental health records to demonstrate any diagnoses that you’ve received after your accident and to detail your internal struggles.
- Submit photographs of your injuries to highlight their severity.
There may be other ways to demonstrate the impact your accident injuries have had on your life. So, be thorough in thinking through the best way to present your non-economic damages.
Be prepared to fight for the compensation you deserve
You only get one shot at recovering the compensation you need to adequately recover from your car accident injuries. Therefore, diligence and aggressiveness are key moving forward with your case.
So, take the time necessary to comb through the facts of your case and gather the evidence needed to support your claim. Armed with strong legal arguments, you’ll hopefully be able to impose liability, recover the compensation you deserve, and buy yourself the time needed to focus on recuperating and securing your normal your life again.
