You are driving home from work when someone runs a red light. In a split second, your day becomes anything but normal. Your car is totaled and you find yourself in the hospital with serious injuries.
You know that it wasn’t your fault. You have the police report. You saw the accident take place. But it’s still going to have a drastic impact on your life. You’re interested in seeking compensation for your damages, and you don’t want to overlook anything. What are some damages that you may be able to pursue?
Medical bills
Naturally, after the damage to your car, the first thing you’ll probably think of is your medical expenses. This could include everything from ambulance fees to the cost of medication or the medical treatments that you need while you’re in the hospital. For a severe injury like a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or a spinal cord injury, these costs could be incredibly high.
Future medical costs
After the immediate medical costs, remember to think about how your situation may impact your future. Are you going to need in-home care services? Are you suffering from a disability or a disfigurement? Will you need rehabilitation in the future? You’ll want to make sure that all of your costs are factored when you’re constructing a legal strategy to pursue damages.
Pain and suffering
Although it can be a bit harder to define, you can sometimes seek compensation for pain and suffering, as well. You never should have been injured to begin with, if not for another party’s negligence. What you had to endure may have been very difficult or even left you with something like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Lost wages and future earnings
Finally, an important category to consider is your wages. Maybe you missed days, weeks or even months at work. You may need and deserve compensation for the wages that you expected to earn, which were factored into your budget. You may even find that you can’t return to work or that your earning capacity is lower than it was before. This can have a major long-term impact on your earnings.
These are only four areas of potential damages worth considering. Seeking experienced legal guidance can potentially help you to identify more.
