Car Accident Injury. Back Pain While Driving
If you’re injured in a car accident, you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries.
In 2018, there were 33,654 fatal motor vehicle accidents in the United States. Of these, 2,915 occurred in Florida. Car accidents can cause severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and internal injuries. The aftermath of a car accident can be incredibly stressful. And you may be left with high medical bills, lots of lost wages, and a completely changed life. We can never undo what happened to you, but our experienced personal injury attorneys can help you recover as much compensation as possible for your injuries. We hope to take some of the weight off of your shoulders by alleviating you of the debts you incurred due to someone else’s negligence.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are any losses that have a monetary value associated with them. This can include medical costs and lost wages. These are calculated by taking the total amount of monetary losses and adding them together. Your attorney will help to collect documentation of any losses you’ve experienced.
Medical Expenses
Medical costs most often include:
- ambulance rides
- surgery costs
- doctor’s visits
- hospital visits
- physical therapy
- chronic pain treatment
- ongoing medical care
If your injury is lifelong and will continue to require treatment from a doctor, your doctor must fill out a document stating that to be the case, outlining what your future treatment will be like and what costs you will likely face in the future.
Past and Future Lost Wages
You can also receive compensation for any wages you may have lost while you were out of work receiving treatment and recovering from your injuries. You may also be able to claim compensation for wages you’ll continue to lose in the future. This is different than the compensation that you would receive for loss of earning capacity.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are losses that don’t have a monetary value associated with them. These damages affect your everyday life. And they are a reflection of what you’ve been through since your accident occurred.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering compensation is given for any hardship you’ve had to deal with because of your accident. How much did your injury affect your life? And how hard was it to deal with or overcome? Did you have people around to support you, or did you have to go through it all alone? Pain and suffering serves as a way to compensate people for the hardship and stress that goes along with a car accident injury.
Loss of Earning Capacity
Loss of earning capacity is different from recovering future lost wages. In this case, you would be receiving compensation because you’re no longer able to work in your current field. For example, if you worked in construction and developed a disability that wouldn’t allow you to be on your feet for an extended period of time, you could receive compensation for that loss of earning capacity as you can no longer work in your field. As a result of your injuries, you may need to change careers and potentially earn less than you did prior to your injury.
Loss of Consortium
A car accident not only causes lots of stress on the injury victim but also on the people around them. This may cause stress on relationships, including marriages and partnerships. If your injuries resulted in stressors that negatively impacted or ended a relationship, you may be entitled to compensation.
Permanent Disability or Disfigurement
If your injury left you permanently disabled or disfigured (such as facial scarring from burns), you could be entitled to compensation. Permanent disability and disfigurement can cause serious stress on someone’s life, including mental illnesses and a general feeling of hatred or dread.
How Are Non-Economic Damages Calculated?
Non-economic damages as a whole are calculated by looking at the change in a person’s quality of life. For example, if someone is an avid runner but their accident caused them to develop a permanent injury that prevents them from running, they’ll receive higher compensation than someone who lived a sedentary lifestyle and has injuries they’ll recover from. In general, these damages are calculated based on how much someone’s life has changed because of their injuries, and how much it will continue to change in the future.
Should I Settle my Car Accident Case?
Deciding whether or not to settle your car accident case can be a big decision. But it’s one that your attorney can help you make. When it comes to your car accident claim, your case has two values. They are the trial value and the settlement value. Your trial value is the total combined amount of your damages. Your settlement value is affected by your chances at winning your case. For example, if you have a 50% chance of winning your case, your settlement value will be 50% of your trial value.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney for Help Seeking Compensation for Your Injuries
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, please contact our talented attorneys here at The Eberst Law Firm. With offices in Stuart, Gainesville, and Daytona Beach, Florida. Our attorneys have years of experience working on car accident cases, and we’re ready to help you receive the compensation that you deserve. For more information or a free case evaluation, please contact us online by using our chat box option or by calling us at 772-225-4900.
