Personal injury compensation typically includes several categories of damages. Understanding each can help you evaluate a settlement offer.
These are quantifiable financial losses with documentation:
Medical expenses: All past and future medical costs including hospital stays, surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, medications, and medical equipment.
Lost wages: Income lost due to the injury, including sick days, vacation days, and reduced earning capacity if the injury affects your ability to work in the future.
Property damage: Repair or replacement costs for damaged property (most commonly vehicles in car accident cases).
Out-of-pocket expenses: Transportation to medical appointments, home modifications, and other injury-related costs.
These are subjective losses that don't have a specific dollar amount:
Pain and suffering: Physical pain and discomfort caused by the injury.
Emotional distress: Anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other psychological impacts.
Loss of enjoyment of life: Inability to participate in activities you previously enjoyed.
Loss of consortium: Impact on your relationship with your spouse.
Severity of injuries, clarity of liability, quality of documentation, insurance policy limits, your state's comparative negligence rules, and whether you have an attorney all significantly impact the final amount.