Nobody begins their day and expects to be hospitalized. However, accidents and injuries can happen daily to anyone. Injuries are painful and devastating; however, if they develop because of the actions or negligence of another party, it is even more upsetting. Whether you sustained injuries in a motor vehicle accident, a defective product, or a slip and fall accident, you must not be responsible for their consequences. A personal injury results in physical, financial, and emotional consequences known as damages. The party responsible for your injury and damages pays them through an insurance policy. An attorney at brianazemikalaw.com can help maximize the damages you can recover in a personal injury claim.
Kinds of Damages in Personal Injury Claims
The majority of personal injury claims are filed to seek compensation for general and special damages. Sometimes, punitive damages are also sought. Although general and special damages are compensation or the losses of a victim, punitive damages can be awarded to punish and deter the negligent party. Punitive damages are only awarded in cases of intentional wrongdoing or egregious negligence. But general and special damages are often recovered in a personal injury claim.
What are General Damages
In a personal injury case, general damages are the emotional and physical harm that injury causes. Usually, they are non-economic damages including the pain and suffering you endure. These intangible damages are hard to quantify with a dollar amount. But insurers and personal injury lawyers have formulas they use to calculate general damages. These damages also cover emotional trauma, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other lingering after-effects of an injury. Disfigurement, loss of life enjoyment, and loss of consortium are non-economic or general damages you can recover through a personal injury claim.
What are Special Damages
These tangible or economic damages refer to damages that can be easily calculated and proven with things such as medical records, receipts, and employment documents. If your injury requires medical treatment, you may miss days up to months of work. Serious injuries may lead to permanent disability that prevents you from going to work at the capacity before the accident or to work at all. Economic damages include medical expenses, lost income, future or ongoing treatment costs, future income loss, and diminished future earning capacity because of a disability. An experienced personal injury lawyer will carefully calculate such damages to make sure you do not miss an avenue for compensation and ensure maximum recovery.
