Aside from getting justice, getting full and fair compensation is usually a main reason for filing a personal injury claim against the negligent party who caused your accident and subsequent injury. That’s where an attorney can be a great benefit to you. They’ll look into every aspect of what happened so that they can determine exactly what you’re owed and then fight to get you those damages.
At Golden Law Office, we understand that financial compensation is just one step in your healing process. That’s why we’re prepared to handle the legal side of things for you while you focus on your physical and emotional healing from the trauma of the accident.
Once your lawyer proves that the other party was at fault for your accident, they will start calculating how much you’re owed in damages. Let’s take a look at the ways that they determine the costs of your injuries and damages to decide how much you should receive.
Calculating Economic Damages
The main type of damages that your lawyer will work to recover for you are considered economic damages. These are the most straight-forward to calculate because they are based on actual costs that you were billed for and paid for after your accident. Your lawyer will use documentation that you have from your bills to determine an exact amount that you’re owed for the damages.
Here are some of the documents that can help with recovering economic damages in your claim:
- Medical bills
- Specialist visit bills
- Medication costs
- Repair receipts
- Lost wages
- Future lost wages
- Future medical costs
- Medical equipment costs
When you meet with your attorney, you should bring any receipts or bills that you have to prove that you suffered those costs as a direct result of an injury that you suffered from the accident. Medical charts and police reports can help confirm the dates and other proof of your injuries so that there is no disputing whether or not you suffered that injury from the accident.
Calculating Noneconomic Damages
The other main type of damages that your lawyer will need to calculate for your compensation is noneconomic damages. These are more abstract costs that you incurred from the accident, and usually don’t carry a specific price tag, but have cost an emotional toll on you or your family. While documentation from above, like medical bills, doctors’ charts, and lost wages all play a part in determining these, they are a subjective cost and will vary from claim to claim.
That’s why it’s important to have a reliable and experienced lawyer on your side because they will know what to look at in your case and determine what a fair amount would be for your noneconomic damages. Here are some of the factors that play into how much you’re owed:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional trauma
- Paralysis
- Permanent disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
After your lawyer determines how much you’re owed for this type of damages by consulting with an expert, looking at your documentation, and collecting statements from you and people around you, that amount will be added to the amount you’re owed in economic damages, and they will be added together to calculate the full amount you’re owed in compensation.
Punitive Damages
In rare cases, you might be able to collect punitive damages as well. Your lawyer would first have to prove that the negligence that led to your accident was gross or egregious, or that there was malicious intent for the responsible party’s actions. Once that’s proven, they’ll calculate how much you can recover in punitive damages, which are meant to punish the person or company at fault.
In Kentucky, there is no cap on the amount you can win for punitive damages. This means that it’s up to your attorney to determine how much you’re owed. They’ll do this by looking at similar cases and considering everything that you had to go through because of the other party’s actions.
Our Firm Can Help You
After an injury that leads to medical bills and lost wages, you might be interested in filing a claim against the party responsible for the accident that caused your injuries. With the help of a personal injury lawyer from Golden Law Office, you can recover what you’re owed and hold them liable for the damages that they caused.
We understand how the costs of an accident can impact your life. That’s why we’re dedicated to getting you justice and getting you the full and fair compensation that you deserve. With us on your side, you can have peace of mind knowing that our experienced attorneys are fighting for you. Reach out to us today so that we can get started on your claim right away.
