After suffering injuries and losses due to someone else’s negligent actions, you may be unsure as to what you can claim for in a personal injury case. You probably know your life has been turned upside down with so many doctor’s visits and treatments, and you may be stressed out financially with all these bills and no salary coming in. Yet, you may not know precisely what or how many of these expenses can be included in the claim. Read more to find out what can be claimed in personal injury cases.

Categories of Compensatory Damages

The personal and financial losses you have suffered due to another person’s negligence can be divided into two main categories of damages. These are:

• Economic or special damages, which include all measurable costs.
• Non-economic or general damages are those not covered by a bill or receipt but that nevertheless affect your life.

Let’s see what can be included in each:

Economic Damages

These are damages that can easily be added up and may include:

Medical expenses – Keep a detailed file with all bills from the ambulance that transported you to the hospital when you were injured to your doctor’s visits, surgeries, and treatments, to your therapies and prescription medications. Also, include your medical records and a journal of your progress.

Mental health services – Include your bills for psychiatric or psychological care and a log detailing your progress.

Lost income – Include a total of all wages and other income you have not earned while having to look after your health. If you become permanently disabled and unable to work, include your loss of earning capacity in the future.

Damage to your property – This refers to the bills you have paid to get your car repaired and the transportation costs you have had while your car is in the shop.

Out-of-pocket expenses – Include here expenses such as medical aids like crutches or wheelchairs, gasoline and parking fees, childcare, and housekeeping services, among others.

Non-Economic Damages

These damages are much more difficult to quantify and may include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, physical pain, PTSD, disfigurement, and loss of consortium. Although you will not have a bill associated with these items, they may still affect your life in ways that are hard to describe.

Putting an economic value on your pain and suffering may leave you feeling sad and depressed. That is why at a time like this, it is best to work with a personal injury lawyer who has had experience handling cases like yours. Your lawyer can use formulas and multipliers to give them a figure that can be attached to these intangible items that can become a part of your life for a long while, if not forever.

Damages for Wrongful Death

When a loved one dies due to an accident, their estate or close family members may also bring a claim on their behalf. Besides medical expenses and others described above, you may also include funeral and burial expenses and the loss of financial support the surviving family is experiencing. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney can help you determine the damages you might include in this claim and the steps you may need to follow to receive compensation.