How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
When you’re injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, your life is impacted in a number of ways. You’ll likely deal with economic losses and medical treatment costs, as well as pain and suffering. Under the circumstances, you may wonder whether you’re entitled to compensation from the responsible party and what your case is worth if you pursue your legal remedies. While only a qualified attorney can provide an accurate assessment, it’s helpful to get an idea of what factors contribute to the calculation. The issue comes down to two types of legal damages: special and general.
Economic Damages
This type of damages is a legal concept that refers to losses that are determinable in terms of value, even if they’re only estimates. They include a range of harms that you’ve sustained due to the wrongdoing of the responsible party, such as:
Medical Costs: You’ll receive bills for the treatments that are required to bring you back to health after your accident. These might be the first responders to the scene, ER personnel, healthcare specialists and your primary care physician.
Loss of Wages: If your injuries are severe enough that you can’t work, you may be entitled to special damages for the lost wages you incur. This amount is based upon the income you were earning in the time period before the accident.
Loss of Future Income: At times, your wounds are so serious that you’re unable to return to the same position you previously held. You may be entitled to damages for loss of future income for the amounts you would have earned had you been in the same physical condition as you were prior to the accident.
Non-Economic/General Damages
As the name suggests, these damages are more general in nature and aren’t tied to any specific monetary amounts like special damages are. You might have heard the term “pain and suffering” used in connection with general damages, which doesn’t really carry a dollar value. However, there are considerations that weigh into an award for these damages:
Also, keep in mind that your case proceedings also affect your compensation amount. Cases that settle are handled quite differently as compared to those that involve litigation or a trial.
The concepts of damages and case value are quite complicated for those without a legal background, so it’s essential to hire an experienced lawyer if you’ve suffered personal injuries in an accident. Please contact the attorneys at Stockard, Johnston, Brown, Netardus & Doyle, P.C. for more information and to discuss your case.
Economic Damages
This type of damages is a legal concept that refers to losses that are determinable in terms of value, even if they’re only estimates. They include a range of harms that you’ve sustained due to the wrongdoing of the responsible party, such as:
Medical Costs: You’ll receive bills for the treatments that are required to bring you back to health after your accident. These might be the first responders to the scene, ER personnel, healthcare specialists and your primary care physician.
Loss of Wages: If your injuries are severe enough that you can’t work, you may be entitled to special damages for the lost wages you incur. This amount is based upon the income you were earning in the time period before the accident.
Loss of Future Income: At times, your wounds are so serious that you’re unable to return to the same position you previously held. You may be entitled to damages for loss of future income for the amounts you would have earned had you been in the same physical condition as you were prior to the accident.
Non-Economic/General Damages
As the name suggests, these damages are more general in nature and aren’t tied to any specific monetary amounts like special damages are. You might have heard the term “pain and suffering” used in connection with general damages, which doesn’t really carry a dollar value. However, there are considerations that weigh into an award for these damages:
- The severity of your injuries; and,
- The level of wrongdoing, i.e., negligence or recklessness or intentional misconduct.
Also, keep in mind that your case proceedings also affect your compensation amount. Cases that settle are handled quite differently as compared to those that involve litigation or a trial.
The concepts of damages and case value are quite complicated for those without a legal background, so it’s essential to hire an experienced lawyer if you’ve suffered personal injuries in an accident. Please contact the attorneys at Stockard, Johnston, Brown, Netardus & Doyle, P.C. for more information and to discuss your case.