Types of Damages Recoverable for Car Accidents

What Damages Are Recoverable in an Auto Accident?

When you have been involved in a car accident, it is likely you suffered serious injuries. Whether these included head injuries such as a concussion, broken bones, cuts and bruises, or neck and back injuries due to whiplash, these and other injuries require long periods of medical treatment and recovery. As a result, you find your mailbox stuffed with medical bills that total thousands of dollars, plus a loss of income due to your inability to return to your job. Therefore, your best option is to seek financial compensation for the damages sustained in the accident. But if you are like most people, you have little if any idea how to proceed, much less which damages will allow for compensation. To learn more about your options, turn to an experienced traffic collision lawyer at Grey Law.

Present and Future Medical Expenses

While many car accident victims believe they can only be compensated for medical expenses that have been previously incurred or are currently being incurred, the fact is victims can also be compensated for any future medical expenses they will incur due to their injuries. But to do so, you will need a doctor’s statement which verifies the treatment you will need, the length of your treatment period, and an estimate of its costs. Once you have this, immediately present it to your Los Angeles injury lawyer at Grey Law.

Household Services

When many victims who live alone are suddenly injured in a car accident, they find themselves unable to do basic household duties, such as cooking, cleaning, taking care of pets, and other tasks. If you are facing this situation, always make sure you work with your injury attorney at Grey Law to seek compensation for the money you have used to hire others to help you around the house while you recover from your accident.

Lost Wages

If you suffered serious injuries in your car accident, it is likely you will be unable to return to your job for several weeks or possibly much longer. As a result, you will suffer tremendous financial hardship due to lost wages. Because of this, always make sure your auto accident attorney in LA works hard to ensure you are compensated for lost wages. The amount of money from this will be from the time of your accident to the date on which your case is settled, so keep this in mind when determining how much you will have actually lost along the way. Also, if you were unemployed at the time of your accident, you can still seek these damages. However, you will need to prove what could have been earned during this period.

Mental Anguish

Along with your physical injuries, your car accident probably left you with severe mental anguish as well. In fact, many accident victims often suffer from PTSD, have trouble sleeping, are depressed, and often feel embarrassed around others, especially if they were disfigured or suffered other types of disabilities in the accident. Since these issues can often linger for years following the accident, always rely on a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer from Grey Law who will fight hard to get maximum compensation for mental anguish.

Loss of Consortium

In some car accidents, a spouse may be severely injured and never be the same afterwards. Whether this is due to a traumatic brain injury, emotional injuries such as depression or PTSD, or other situations, the result can be a marriage that falls far short of the happiness the couple once shared. As a result, compensation can be sought in these cases for what is known as loss of consortium. This can include not only loss of emotional relations and companionship with a spouse, but also sexual relations. To be successful in gaining compensation for these damages, your car accident lawyer will need to prove your marriage was stable and loving, as well as to what extent various aspects of the marriage have been lost or severely altered.

Loss of Earning Capacity

In certain situations where a car accident takes place, the victim may no longer be able to return to their previous occupation. For example, if a victim who worked in construction lost a limb in the accident, it is likely continuing to work in their current occupation is not feasible. If this happens, it is possible to seek compensation for loss of earning capacity. When pursuing these damages, the victim’s previous earnings at the job will be taken into account, as will an estimate of how many more years they would have worked in the occupation and how much they would have earned along the way. Since this can be critical to ensuring future financial comfort for victims and their families, always work with a car wreck lawyer who seeks as much compensation as possible in these cases.

Disfigurement

In serious car accidents where victims may have sustained severe lacerations from broken glass or other situations, disfigurement is a common result. Even with the best possible plastic surgery, some victims nevertheless have scars that remain with them forever. As a result, they tend to endure a lifetime of mental suffering over how they perceive others view them. Though sometimes included under mental anguish or pain and suffering, an experienced car wreck injury lawyer can often make this a separate area of significant compensation.

Pain and Suffering

Finally, almost all car accident victims who suffer serious injuries also deal with pain and suffering on a daily basis. In many cases, the pain is 24/7 and lasts a lifetime, greatly impacting their ability to have a good quality of life. As a result, you should always work with an auto accident lawyer who will be able to gain substantial compensation for this important aspect of your case.

If you are a car accident victim, never hesitate to seek maximum compensation for your injuries and other damages. To do so, schedule a consultation today with a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer at Grey Law.