What Types of Damages Can I Receive Compensation for by Filing a Personal Injury Claim?
Millions of accidents occur all over the country every year. If you sustained injuries due to a third party’s negligence, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against that party. Damages can be either compensatory or punitive. Here are four specific categories of damages for which you can receive compensation:
Past Medical Costs
The most cut-and-dry personal injury damage claim is that of medical bills. If you go to the emergency room, consult a physician, or go to a chiropractor sometime after the accident due to the injuries you sustained, you will begin to accrue a paper trail of your economic losses. These expenses and records become essential for your lawyer when he or she asks for specific compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company.
Lost Wages
Another common compensatory damage category is that of lost wages. You qualify for relief under this category if you missed work as a result of your accident or lost benefits or wages due to medical appointments. In addition, a skilled lawyer will fight for your right to receive this compensation if you were denied a promotion due to the accident or sustained injuries that will prevent you from getting ahead in the workplace. Due to the quantifiable nature of wages, this is a relatively simple form of economic damage to calculate.
Pain and Suffering
The hardest type of damage to quantify is that of pain and suffering. These are known as general damages, and are much more subjective in a personal injury proceeding. Your specific reimbursement for this type of damage may vary, but insurance companies and juries often award up to 50% of the total compensation as quantification of pain and suffering.
Todd M. Berk, Esq. is a skilled personal injury attorney who helps clients from all over the Philadelphia area with personal injury cases. Our skilled team has years of experience in obtaining appropriate compensation for clients. Call (215) 687-4432 today for a free case evaluation.
Disclaimer:
The materials available at this website are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use and access to this website or any of the links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship. The opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the firm or any individual attorney.
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