2 Types of Damages for a Personal Injury Claim You Should Include

Filing a personal injury claim is not a simple process. You have the task of obtaining and preparing all the necessary documentation before negotiating a settlement with the insurance company. Will you be asking for enough money to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and other financial obligations? Our San Diego personal injury lawyers want to cover the types of damages that can occur from a personal injury incident, which include:

1. Economic Damages
   Economic damages refer to the money you’ll lose due to your injuries which is why it’s one of the types of damages for a personal injury claim you should always have in your lawsuit. This includes anything that’s immediately tangible, such as:

• • Medical bills and other related expenses. In most personal injury cases, you’ll seek reimbursement for any medical expenses that occurred because of the accident. This includes hospital stays, physical rehab, surgeries, medications, and other costs dealing with medical supplies and equipment. Careful documentation of your ongoing medical treatment is necessary to determine these costs.
  • Loss of income and occupational benefits. Injuries are likely to sideline you from earning income, which will take a significant toll on you financially. This includes loss of wages, salaries, self-employment earnings, and supplemental earnings, such as bonuses, commissions, and other benefits. Permanent disabilities will also factor into your compensation for future loss of income.
  • Property damage. Receiving compensation for property damage usually occurs early on in your case. The most common example of this is damage to your motor vehicle. However, you can seek compensation for damages to other personal property that you own, such as smartphones, laptops, and many other pricey items.

Keep in mind that you could also incur out-of-pocket costs from a personal injury accident, such as travel expenses, home healthcare costs, and modifications to your home due to disability. Again, you want to document all of these tangible costs and expenditures as carefully as you can.

2. Non-Economic Damages
   The second type of damages for a personal injury claim you should include is non-economic damages. Non-economic damages account for the pain and suffering you experience as a direct result of your injuries. Calculating the amount of money you deserve for your physical and mental hardship is a little more challenging to determine and will present specific challenges. However, you still deserve maximum compensation for what you’re going through. Here’s how non-economic damages are included:

• • Damages for pain and suffering. This includes the discomfort and physical agony that you experience as a direct result of your injuries. You can seek compensation for any rehabilitation you require due to depression, anxiety, and related psychological suffering.
  • Permanent disabilities and loss of quality of life. Long-term impairment will diminish your ability to enjoy and live your life to the fullest. You should also base the compensation you’re seeking on the severity of your situation – you can ask for more money when it comes to brain trauma, spinal cord injuries, etc.

We recommend you also keep a journal detailing your road to recovery. This way, you can describe the emotional anguish your injuries are causing you and present a clear picture of what you’re experiencing. It’s also advisable to document your daily pain levels and the impact your injuries have on your relationships.

Schedule a Consultation Today With a Personal Injury Attorney
Contact us immediately if someone else is responsible for your injuries. The experts here at HHJ Trial Attorneys are incredibly reliable when it comes to handling personal injury claims. We ensure that residents of southern California can recover the compensation they deserve after suffering significant injuries in an accident. Schedule a consultation with us today, and we can immediately begin reviewing your case.

Testimonial from Icela, Injured Personal Injury Victim in San Diego
Working with HHJ Trial attorneys has been an incredible experience. Not only were they extremely efficient, accessible, communicative, dedicated and passionate, but also genuinely invested. I feel like I could not have landed a more capable and professional team which I am so grateful for because they made me feel at ease all throughout the process. Not to mention, they went out of their way trying to not inconvenience me, burden me or overwhelm me. They just know exactly how to do their job and how to work with people.