Being involved in an accident in Orland Park can be pretty traumatic. On top of that, victims will have to deal with physical and financial burden, that will be hard to manage.
One way to get out of this rut in Orland Park is to seek the assistance of an experienced personal injury lawyer. With their help, victims can handle the challenges involved in a personal injury case.
One area where an Orland Park personal injury lawyer is useful is compensation estimation. The right lawyer can include all the losses a victim sustains in an accident.
This article lists the damages an accident victim can recover through a personal injury case.
Contents
The Role of Legal Representation
Navigating a personal injury case independently can be quite challenging. Such cases require seasoned legal representation. An experienced personal injury lawyer will fight diligently for their clients so that they are properly compensated, not only for economic and non-economic damages.
Such a lawyer will also be of great importance when it comes to handling insurance company negotiations. If an out-of-court settlement cannot be reached, they can represent you in court and put forth strong arguments to convince the judge and jury
Types of Damages in Personal Injury Cases
Basically, in a personal injury case, the damages one can recover usually fall under two major broad categories. They are:
- Compensatory
- Punitive
Both have different objectives and relate to a certain set of factors concerning the resultant injuries and their consequences.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages are awarded to the victim to compensate him for losses incurred because of the injury. These damages are then divided into economic and non-economic damages.
1. Economic Damages
Economic damages include the tangible losses a victim suffers as a result of their injury. These are losses that can be proved using bills, receipts, and any other form of financial documentation.
Economic damages compensate for the following losses.
- Medical expenses: The money spent on emergency room visits, surgeries, costs of medication, physical therapy, and any future medical treatment due to an injury.
- Loss of Wages: In the event of not being able to work due to the injury, you can claim compensation of the salary/wages lost during your recovery. If the injury is severe and it keeps you from working or forces you to take up a lower job, then you may claim compensation for future lost earnings as well.
- Property Damage: You can recover money for the repair or replacement of your property, like a vehicle, that has been damaged in the accident.
2. Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate for losses that are more subjective and harder to quantify. Such damages deal with the emotional and psychological toll of the accident.
Here are some conditions that fall under non-economic losses.
- Pain and Suffering: This refers to the actual physical pain and emotional distress from the injury. The severityand the duration of the pain are considered here.
- Emotional Distress: This includes anxiety or depression, which are some of the emotional effects one may suffer from due to the accident. Compensation may include reimbursement for therapy.
- Loss of Consortium: This is applicable when the injury affects the relations of the victim with their spouse or family.Compensation could be awarded for loss of companionship, affection, and support.
Punitive Damages
Unlike compensatory damages, punitive damages aren’t awarded to compensate for the losses the victim suffers. Instead, they are awarded to punish the defendant for their reckless or malicious action. They are meant to serve as a warning that reckless actions will not go unpunished.
Conclusion
Knowing what you can recover is important, whether that be economic damages, like medical bills and lost wages, or non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. Only with the right legal guidance will the victim be able to sort through the tangles of a personal injury case and secure fair compensation for their loss.
