What Type of Damages Can Be Recovered in a Personal Injury Claim?

If you’ve been hurt in some sort of accident, you may be wondering if you’re entitled to damages from the other party. While this is the case for most of my clients, not everybody is entitled to damages. There are also different types of damages. It all depends on the facts of your case and personal injury claim. Our Fairburn injury attorneys work hard to get our clients the money they deserve. 

Here, we’ll discuss the various types of damages you may collect in your personal injury lawsuit. If you have questions about your own personal injury claim and case, you should contact our office right away. We can schedule your initial, free consultation right over the phone. Let one of our injury lawyers in Fairburn review your claim and determine if it has merit. If so, we can give you an idea of what types of damages you may be entitled to in your personal injury claim.

Not Every Plaintiff is Entitled to Damages

It’s important to remember that not every plaintiff receives damages. If your Fairburn injury attorney can’t prove fault, then you could walk away with nothing. This is why our lawyers are so careful when they decide whether to accept a case. If a potential client’s personal injury claim doesn’t have merit, we like to tell them upfront. It’s better to be honest about these things. The last thing we want to do is waste anybody’s time – both yours and ours. 

We also make sure to remind our clients that nobody is automatically entitled to damages. You need to prove each type of damages that you demand in your initial personal injury claim. This requires that your injury lawyer in Fairburn submit evidence that speaks to each type of damages available. For example, if you were in a car crash and want compensation to cover the replacement of your vehicle, your attorney will submit an estimate from a reputable mechanic.

You Should Be Entitled to Reimbursement for Any Medical Bills You’ve Experienced

One major type of damages that most of our clients can collect are medical bills. If you needed extensive medical treatment after your accident, the defendant should be held accountable for that. For example, if you rack up over $100,000 in hospital bills, you shouldn’t have to pay them yourself. If you didn’t cause your injuries, why should you be left holding the bag? It’s only fair that the other party pay for your medical bills.

Your Fairburn Injury Attorney Can Also Demand Damages for Future Medical Care

You may also be eligible to receive damages for future medical care. Your injuries may be so serious that you need long-term medical treatment. Rather than wait to settle your personal injury claim until you’ve completed your care, it’s better to demand payment upfront. 

What your Fairburn injury attorney will do is talk to your doctor and find out what sort of future medical care you’ll need. They will then talk to an expert to find out how much it’ll cost for you to receive this care. Once inflation is accounted for, your injury lawyer in Fairburn will demand this amount from the defendant.

You May Be Able to Collect Compensation for Property Damage

If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident, you’ll probably be entitled to property damages as part of your personal injury claim. For example, if your vehicle was damaged or destroyed, you can hold the defendant accountable. If your car was totaled in the crash, the insurance company will confirm as much. They’ll also indicate what the fair market value of your car or SUV was at the time of the crash. 

This is the amount you can demand in your personal injury claim. You can’t demand the replacement value for a new vehicle – only for the one that was damaged in the accident.

Personal Injury Claim Damages Can Cover Lost Wages and Lost Future Income

If your injuries are very serious, you may miss weeks or even months from work. The defendant will be liable for any wages that aren’t covered by vacation, sick, or personal time. Your Fairburn injury attorney will have to submit proof of how much you have lost due to this missed time. As part of your personal injury claim, you can submit a copy of your tax records and paystubs. Your lawyer will review your actual schedule versus how much time you were able to work. You can demand this amount in your lawsuit.

In addition to compensation for current lost wages, your personal injury claim can also demand compensation for lost future income. If you’re no longer able to do the same kind of work you did prior to your personal injury, you can demand damages. Your injury lawyer in Fairburn will demand the difference between what you would’ve earned prior to the accident and what you’ll actually earn now. Whatever that difference is, your lawyer will multiply it by the number of years you have left until retirement.

For example, imagine that you earn $100,000 per year and are 40 years old. You probably would have worked for another 25 years. Now that you’re partially disabled because of your personal injury, you’ll only earn $40,000 per year. This is a difference of $60,000 per year. When you multiply this amount by 25 years, you come up with $1,500,000. Once your Fairburn injury attorney accounts for inflation and amortization, they’ll come up with a final figure for your personal injury claim.

Most Personal Injury Clients are Entitled to Damages for Pain and Suffering

Most personal injury plaintiffs are entitled to damages for pain and suffering. These damages are meant to compensate you for any physical and mental anguish caused by your accident. 

The general rule is that your injury lawyer in Fairburn can demand three times your medical bills to come up with a fair pain and suffering demand, as part of your personal injury claim. If you accumulated over $200,000 in medical bills, your attorney may demand approximately $600,000 in pain and suffering.

Meet with a Fairburn Injury Attorney to Discuss Your Case

If you were recently hurt in some kind of accident, you should call our office. Sit down with an injury lawyer in Fairburn and let them review your personal injury claim case. They’ll look to see what kinds of damages you may be entitled to. They’ll also get a feel for how strong your personal injury claim is. If they’re interested in representing you, they will let you know during your free, initial consultation.