After sustaining a catastrophic personal injury because of another person’s negligence, you may be overwhelmed with figuring out how to seek compensation for your damages.
From medical expenses and lost wages to emotional distress and disfigurement, convincing an insurance company to give you a fair settlement is almost impossible to do on your own. Fortunately, California law entitles you to bring suit if you can prove the responsible party was negligent and their actions caused the accident, which led to your injuries.
Possible Damages For A Personal Injury Claim
After sustaining severe injuries in an accident, you may be unsure what damages you can expect to recover. You may wonder what happens if you still have health issues later related to the accident. Compensatory awards of this nature can cover past, current, and future costs related to being hurt by another’s negligence.
Under California law, there are two primary forms of damages you can seek to recover:
Economic Damages
Damages of this type are based on your financial losses, including:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of income potential
- Property damages
- Funeral expenses
- Other related costs
Non-Economic Damages
When seeking this form of damages, it is important to understand these do not inherently have an economic value attached. Some examples of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Wrongful death
- Mental anguish
To justify any claims for non-economic damages, your attorney will gather a significant amount of evidence to demonstrate your loss in this category. This could mean introducing medical records, expert testimony, and other critical examples that make a persuasive claim to award you these damages.