A car accident can take a major toll on your health and finances. Pursuing a legal remedy from the party who caused the accident could help you avoid considerable hardship and stress.
Depending on your individual circumstances, it may be possible to seek multiple forms of damages.
Medical expenses
The compensation that you seek should include the full cost of your medical expenses. You may include payments that a health insurance carrier made to care providers, but be aware that insurers may attempt to recoup their costs.
In addition to emergency care, accident victims commonly have to undergo extensive treatment to make a full recovery from their injuries. Consultations with specialists, diagnostic imaging studies, and prescription medications may be compensable. Likewise, the cost of in-home care could form part of a claimant’s demand for compensation.
Even with health insurance, out-of-pocket costs for treatment can easily run into the thousands. Getting compensation could facilitate access care that would otherwise be unaffordable.
Lost wages
If an injury prevents you from working, you can make a claim for your lost wages. Calculating lost income from jobs that pay an annual salary or hourly wages is fairly straightforward. Determining lost wages in commission-driven job roles tends to be more complex. Typically, the best approach is to create approximations using records of your prior earnings.
Diminished earning capacity
An injury that results in a permanent disability could completely derail your career. If your injury prevents you from working indefinitely or performing certain types of work, you may be able to get compensation that is commensurate with your diminished earning capacity.
Ultimately, the total value of damages that you can seek will depend on the severity of your injuries and their repercussions on your financial future.