Following a car accident caused by a negligent driver, you may wonder how much your claim is worth. While it all depends on your damages, it is not such a straightforward affair. Various types of damages are considered, and they may significantly affect your compensation amount.
What does compensation entail?
Economic damages, which you can put a figure to, such as hospital bills or lost wages, and non-economic damages that are not easy to quantify. They may include:
- Emotional distress such as grief or trauma which the accident caused you. An accident is a life-changing experience for many, and there are memories you may have to live with.
- Pain and suffering caused by your injuries. If the injuries made you suffer any physical or mental pain, you deserve to be compensated for that as well.
- Loss of consortium occurs when the injuries sustained greatly affect your relationships with your loved ones, especially your close family members.
- Loss of enjoyment damages if your injuries negatively affect your life in any way. Your physical mobility may be primarily affected by some injuries. Therefore, you may not be able to engage in activities that you used to enjoy, such as going out with friends or even gardening.
The list is endless, and there are several other non-monetary damages that you may suffer. In addition, punitive damages may weigh in as well, depending on the circumstances of your car accident. For instance, if the other driver was drunk, the court may award punitive damages to deter such behavior in the future.
All these damages are summed up to a figure, which becomes the value of your claim. As such, maximizing the value of your compensation is in your best interests, bearing in mind that some car accident injuries can have lifelong consequences.
