WHAT IS YOUR CAR ACCIDENT CLAIM WORTH?

Many people are under the impression that a car accident claim is only meant to cover your medical expenses. While your medical bills are indeed covered, you may be entitled to much more compensation. Being injured in a car accident can leave you with physical and emotional scars that may never heal. You deserve compensation for these from whoever caused your accident.

Below, we discuss the various types of damages that you could receive through your car accident claim.

ECONOMIC DAMAGES

Also known as compensatory damages, economic damages are those that are more easily calculated and less disputed between opposing parties. Simply put, calculating these damages involves adding up all your related expenses and your future expenses related to your injury.

MEDICAL EXPENSES

Most injury individuals involved in car accidents require some type of medical treatment. Even a seemingly minor injury can leave an individual with thousands of dollars in medical bills. In addition, many injuries take months or years to heal; others may even require lifelong medical treatment.

Some types of common medical expenses include:

• Ambulance bills
• Hospital bills
• Prescriptions
• Rehabilitation
• Surgeries
• Ongoing physical therapy

Your personal injury attorney will be able to look at the entirety of your injuries and make sure you receive full compensation to pay for present and future medical bills. That way, you aren’t stuck with out-of-pocket expenses down the road.

LOST WAGES AND LOST EARNING CAPACITY

An injury victim will most likely have to miss work in order to recover at the hospital or at home. This can mean a drastic cut to the family’s household income and can be the difference in paying essential bills or putting food on the table. Even if they are able to return to work, they may have to perform a lower-paying job because of their physical limitations, which may be temporary or permanent.

Those who suffer lost wages due to an injury can have these damages calculated into their car accident claim so they are able to financially recover.

PROPERTY DAMAGE

These damages usually calculate the cost of vehicle damage. In many cases, it’s not uncommon for cars to be severely damaged or even totaled. The cost of repairs or a new vehicle can be calculated into the car accident claim.

NON-ECONOMIC DAMAGES

These damages are not so easily calculated and rely on your personal injury attorney to prove just how much your life has been and will be impacted because of the accident.

PAIN AND SUFFERING

Those who suffer car accident injuries often have chronic and frequent pain as they are recovering. Sometimes, the pain can last for an extended period of time or even be permanent. You can’t put a price on someone’s pain and suffering, but an accident victim should be financially compensated for it nonetheless.

EMOTIONAL DISTRESS

It’s not uncommon for accident victims to suffer emotionally during the recovery process. They may experience anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or sleep problems. The individual may isolate themselves and have trouble with their relationships or social life.

DIMINISHED QUALITY OF LIFE

When someone is injured in an accident, they are often robbed of living the life they did beforehand. They may have a permanent injury that has caused lifelong scarring or physical impairment. These types of injuries can diminish the quality of one’s life, and those who experience this are entitled to exponentially more compensation.

PUNITIVE DAMAGES

Punitive damages are an extra type of compensation available to those injured in accidents in which the responsible party acted “wantonly, oppressively, or with such malice as to evince a spirit of malice or criminal indifference to civil obligations.”

They are not awarded to compensate injury victims but rather to punish the defendant for acting with such malice or disregard for the safety or lives of others, such as drunk driving accidents.

Punitive damages are capped at $350,000 in Virginia personal injury cases.

HELPING YOU PURSUE MAXIMUM COMPENSATION

While some damages can be more easily calculated, others require a skilled attorney who can present the evidence of your case in a way that clearly shows how your life has been impacted because of your injuries.

The best way to ensure that you obtain maximum compensation for your injuries is by obtaining the help of a seasoned car accident attorney. This person will work as your legal advocate to break down the entirety of your full damages through research and expert testimonies.

Pursuing maximum compensation is not about being opportunistic. It’s about making sure you obtain the compensation you need to fully recover and you aren’t stuck with out-of-pocket expenses down the line.

If you’re injured in an accident in our firm, Huffman & Huffman is here for you. Our clients are treated like family because they deserve nothing less. We will fight hard on behalf of each client, just like we would our own family. That way, you can focus on your physical and emotional recovery.

Contact Huffman & Huffman at (757) 599-6050 to schedule your free case review. Our firm is offering remote legal services and virtual consultations amid the outbreak of COVID-19.