Car accidents can lead to severe physical and emotional suffering. Depending on the severity of your injuries, it can also lead to financial hardship. The cost of medical treatments and potential loss of income from not being able to work could quickly put a strain on your financial situation.
If you are injured because of another driver’s wrongdoing, then you could pursue compensation through a personal injury claim.
Types of Compensation in a Car Accident Claim
The type and amount of compensation you could receive from a car accident injury claim depends on the extent of your injuries and how they affect your life. The type and amount each car accident victim receives can vary. Here are the most common types of compensation awarded in a car accident claim:
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses are a big part of the economic compensation in a car accident claim. Reimbursement for your medical expenses will include the costs you incurred because of the accident and the estimated costs of future medical treatment and care you may need. You could receive compensation for any of the following medical expenses:
- Ambulance costs
- Hospital stays
- Doctor visits
- Medications
- Surgeries
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Durable medical equipment (i.e. crutches, walkers, wheelchairs)
- Home or transportation modifications
- Long-Term care (i.e. skilled nursing care or needed in-home care services)
Loss of Income
Injuries from a car accident could impact your ability to work and earn the income you need to take care of yourself and your family. Loss of income compensation helps compensate for the financial struggle. It can include payment for two types of lost income; temporary lost wages and permanent lost earning potential.
Compensation for temporary lost wages recovers income you may have lost when you could not work while recuperating. Compensation for permanent lost earning potential compensates for future expected losses or reductions in income if you become permanently disabled from your injuries.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering refers to the physical and emotional trauma a victim may experience during the accident, recovery process, and in the future because of the accident.
This compensation recognizes that accident victims may suffer through temporary or permanent pain in their bodies and how such can take a toll on the body and mind of the victim and affect their daily life. It also recognizes that experiencing such a traumatic event could trigger emotional stress, which could also affect their daily life.
Wrongful Death
Not all car accident injury claims are filed by the person who suffered an injury. If your loved one died because of injuries from a car accident, you could file a claim on the deceased’s behalf. You could receive compensation for any of the following:
- medical expenses incurred for treating their injuries before they died
- funeral and burial expenses
- loss of financial support they may have provided for you
- pain and suffering they may have experienced before succumbing to their injuries
- pain and suffering you have experienced because of their death (i.e. loss of consortium and/or companionship)
Getting Help with Your Car Accident Claim
When the other driver in a car accident is at fault, their liability insurance will likely compensate you. Insurance companies are notorious for trying to save money by getting injured victims to settle for less than they deserve. So, that is why you may need the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer.
A personal injury lawyer can help evaluate how the injury has harmed you and help value your injury claim so you can get the greatest compensation.
Brock & Stout’s personal injury attorneys have over 25 years of experience helping car accident victims get the compensation they deserve. Don’t settle with the insurance company before contacting us for a free evaluation to see if we can get you the help you need.