When you get hurt in an accident, bills still arrive. You still need to pay for housing, car payments, and other living expenses. Your family depends on you for financial support, even while you recover from an injury that could change your life forever. The right attorney can help you fight to be reimbursed for all the losses incurred by your injury.
An experienced personal injury lawyer can evaluate your case and the damages you have incurred to determine how much a fair settlement should be. He or she can also explain your rights in dealing with an insurance company, if necessary. Insurance companies often have policy limits that must be respected, and your attorney will ensure that your claim does not exceed these limits to maximize the amount of compensation you receive.
Compensation for your injuries Compensation for personal injury with an attorney’s help includes both general and special damages. General damages, also called non-economic damages, are meant to compensate you for harms that cannot easily be assigned a monetary value. These include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress. In some cases, you may be entitled to punitive damages, which are intended to punish a defendant for particularly reckless or reprehensible conduct.
One of the first things an injury victim must do after a wreck is seek medical treatment to document the extent of their injuries. Doing so not only speeds up recovery, but it can be used as evidence in a personal injury claim. Taking this step can also help your attorney negotiate a maximum amount of compensation to cover your medical expenses, including doctor visits and surgery costs, physical therapy, medications, home care nurses, or assistive aids like crutches, braces, and wheelchairs.
Depending on your state’s law, you might be eligible to receive compensation for future medical expenses as well. Your attorney will work with your doctors to estimate these expenses, which can be more difficult to calculate than other types of damages. This part of the claim can be complicated because it takes into account your current and projected future health needs, including your prognosis for your permanent disability.
A personal injury lawsuit can also award compensation for your lost wages if you were not able to work while recovering from your injuries. The injured party is obligated to compensate you for the wages you would have earned if you had not been forced to miss work due to your injury.
Some states also allow you to claim compensation for the negative impact that your accident-related injury has had on your relationship with a spouse or other close family member, known as a loss of consortium. This is generally awarded if your injuries have caused you to suffer from mental anguish as a result of the accident. Your attorney will take this into consideration when calculating your pain and suffering damages. He or she can also argue for this as part of your overall damage claim in court, if necessary.