When catastrophe strikes without warning, lives can change in the blink of an eye. For victims of personal injury accidents, the aftermath often involves not only physical pain and recovery but financial hardship as well.
Medical bills pile up, pain and suffering become an inescapable reality, and income is lost. Even if it is unlikely that the harm will ever completely be “made whole” again, financial compensation in the form of personal injury damages offers at least some kind of compensation for the suffering caused.
There are several categories of damages accident victims may go through and can claim compensation for. In this article, let’s explore some of these categories of personal injury damage.
Medical Bills
Don’t make the mistake of believing that your medical losses are limited to your emergency room expenditures. Any medical expenses you may incur as a result of the accident are among the types of damages that you may be paid in a personal injury case.
All of your physical therapy expenses count if you require it as a result of the accident. These expenses are taken into account if you require further consultations to develop a long-term care plan. Even medical equipment like a wheelchair is eligible for payment.
Suffering And Pain
Suffering physical injury means suffering pain. That pain may stay with you, even as injuries heal. Though no amount of money can truly take away suffering, compensation for pain and anguish provides some remedy for hardship. Hiring a personal injury lawyer in Boulder, CO can help you in calculating the right amount of compensation that must be charged for the pain and suffering you go through.
Emotional Suffering
Getting hurt often means emotional hurt too. Emotional distress pays for the anguish that extends far beyond physical pain. After an accident, fear and worry may arise, or trauma that affects life each day. The injury could lead to post-traumatic stress, depression, or sleepless nights—hardship flowing from hurt.
Tell your doctor about your mental struggles and get all the needed care. Mind matters as much as the body. Emotional distress damages compensate for the suffering you go through mentally.
Loss Of Use
Getting hurt can force unwanted changes, altering how life’s lived each day. What once brought joy may now be lost forever from your life due to limitations outside of your control.
If biking, running, crafting, or cooking filled days with purpose, yet injury now prevents or removes such delight altogether, loss of use damages provides compensation. They acknowledge a life no longer lived as before.
Punitive Damages
In rare, extreme cases of recklessness or willful misconduct, punitive damages may be granted. These damages are meant to punish the at-fault party and deter such behavior in the future. Punitive damages are very difficult to obtain but can result in high payouts. They require evidence that the defendant intentionally performed harmful actions or behaved with reckless disregard for safety.
Consortium Damages
Consortium damages refer to the loss of companionship, support, affection, and sexual relations due to injuries caused by the at-fault party. Loss of consortium claim is usually made by the spouse of the victim. They aim to compensate the spouse for the disruption and damage caused to the relationship and life together. Loss of consortium is considered a derivative claim – it arises from the injuries suffered by the primary victim.
