Categories Of Damages You Might Qualify For In A Car Accident Settlement
If you did not cause the recent accident you were in, you will likely be able to collect money for compensation of the damages you experienced from the accident. The types of damages you can collect for will depend on the injuries, problems, and issues the accident caused, and here are the main three categories of damages you might be able to ask for when settling your car accident case.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages, also sometimes called economic damages, are the first category of damages you might be able to collect in a car accident settlement. This type of damage is the most common in a car accident case, and it refers to compensating a person for what they actually lost due to the accident. The perfect example of this is money you receive to pay for the damages to your car or to replace your car. Another example is the money you spent seeking medical treatment for the injuries from the collision. Lost wages from not being able to work is another form of compensatory damage, as lost income is a direct loss you experienced due to the accident.
Non-Economic Damages
The second category of damages you might be able to collect is often called non-economic damages. This category refers to losses you can claim that are not direct losses of money, but that are indirect losses. For example, if you are experiencing anxiety and depression due to the trauma you went through, you could ask for pain and suffering compensation. If your marriage is now suffering because of your injuries or from the trauma of the accident, you could ask for loss of consortium compensation, as this is another form of non-economic damage often sought after by accident victims.
Punitive Damages
A third category is called punitive damages, and this is the least common type of damage you can collect from a car accident settlement. Seeking punitive damages is not common because of the nature of what it is. This particular type of damage is designed to make the at-fault driver pay for what he or she did. To ask for this, you would have to prove that the driver intentionally caused the accident or did something that was malicious during the event.
If you are currently suffering because of injuries and trauma you experienced from colliding with another vehicle, talk to a personal injury lawyer to find out what you can do to collect a fair settlement to cover all the damages you experienced.
For more information, you will want to contact a professional such as Nicholas B. Hall - Personal Injury Lawyer.
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