After an accident, you can suffer from physical, emotional, and financial losses. These may include unexpected medical bills, weeks or even months of lost wages, and intangible damages, such as emotional distress. If someone else is responsible for your accident, you could be entitled to compensation for these losses, otherwise known as “damages.”
Whether you intend to file a claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company or you’re thinking of hiring a Dallas personal injury attorney to file a lawsuit, it’s important to understand which damages you qualify for. This will help you achieve maximum compensation, increasing your chances of making a full recovery from the accident.
Past and Future Medical Expenses
Accidents can result in significant medical losses. In addition to emergency room expenses and immediate treatment, you may require long-term care, follow-up surgeries, and accommodations to your home or vehicle. In a personal injury claim, you can recover compensation for all medical expenses related to the accident—including past and future costs.
You can make a claim for compensation for the following medical losses after your accident, provided that the claim is connected to the injuries you suffered from the accident:
- Emergency and urgent care;
- Hospitalizations;
- Surgeries;
- Diagnostic care;
- Prescription medications;
- Live-in caregivers;
- Disability accommodations;
- Mobility devices;
- Treatment supplies, such as braces or wraps; and
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy.
You can use multiple pieces of evidence to establish your right to past and future medical expenses, such as medical records, expert witness testimony, and insurance bills. Your Dallas personal injury attorney may also ask economists and life care planners to calculate your long-term medical expenses on an as-needed basis.
Property Damage
Many accidents result in damage to property, including motor vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles, and personal possessions in and on your person during the accident. Thankfully, you may be able to recover compensation to repair or even replace this damaged property. Photographs, repair invoices, and receipts can establish the loss of each piece of property and its corresponding value.
Lost Wages and Loss of Earning Capacity
An injury can prevent you from going to work for a long period of time. While you recover, you can lose significant amounts of wages. You may be able to recover the full value of your lost wages, less taxes, by supplying documents such as pay stubs, correspondence with your employer, timesheets, or salary information.
If your injury prevents you from returning to your previous occupation, you can collect compensation for the loss of future earnings due to the accident. Your Dallas personal injury attorney will look at the difference between your previous compensation, career track, benefits, and promotional potential compared to your current state to negotiate an adequate dollar amount for your loss of earning capacity.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering refer to a special category of personal injury damages. These losses refer to the physical and psychological pain, turmoil, and trauma you suffered due to the accident. Common examples of pain and suffering include mental anguish, chronic pain, permanent disability, and the development of mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety.
Since you cannot provide a bill or invoice to prove pain and suffering, these damages can be difficult to calculate. However, a Dallas personal injury attorney will understand the formulas and evidence necessary to prove your right to these damages.
Disfigurement
Disfigurement damages are another special category of personal injury damages. These arise from injuries that cause serious physical damage to your body that is visible to others. This could come from scarring from a cut, the loss of a limb, or burn marks. This is another example of a type of damage that is impossible to quantify without the assistance of an experienced Dallas personal injury lawyer.
Talk to a Dallas Personal Injury Attorney Now About Your Case
If you are in an accident that someone else is responsible for, you deserve maximum compensation. Hiring a lawyer to represent your claim can help you achieve a full recovery. Your lawyer can evaluate your claim, identify the damages you may be entitled to, and calculate your maximum award so you do not accept an insufficient offer from the at-fault party or their insurance company. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation, and we’ll help you discuss your legal options.
