You will want to know what the total economic value of the bodily injuries and property damages that you have sustained from your current car accident are worth. But do you know how to do so? Well, you can hire a lawyer to help you with this.
Economic (special) damages
Your personal injury lawyer in Dublin will tell you that this is the first type of compensation you can sue for in a personal injury lawsuit. These are purely financial in nature and have a value that is easy to calculate and prove. Some of the more common types of economic damages include:
● Medical
○ Doctors bills
○ Hospital bills
○ Ambulance transport fees
○ Medical imaging costs
○ Cost of medicines
○ Surgery bills
○ Physical therapy/rehab
○ Medical equipment and accessories you need to recover. A good example is an oxygen tank.
● Lost wages
○ You may end up missing some work either because you are in the hospital being treated or because you spend several weeks recovering either in the hospital or at home.
● Lost future earnings
○ You may end up losing future wages/income because of your injuries. You can claim these in a personal injury lawsuit.
● Property damage
○ You may have had your car totaled, you can recover those damages in a personal injury lawsuit.
● Rental car
○ Rental cars are expensive and you may have to use one for several weeks after your car accident. Since this cost adds up, it can be included in your personal injury lawsuit.
● Other economic damages
○ This may include bills from seeing mental health professionals from the depression and anxiety you suffered after your car accident
Non-economic damages
Since these are not quantifiable, you will need a personal injury lawyer to help you estimate their true value. Some of these include:
● Pain and suffering/mental anguish
● Emotional distress
● Post-traumatic stress disorder
● Sexual dysfunction
● Loss of sexual intimacy
● Loss of love, affection, or companionship
● Loss of enjoyment of life
● Disfigurement and/or disability
● Embarrassment, humiliation, or shame
● Other psychological injuries
Punitive damages
These are not necessarily calculable but you can include them in your personal injury lawsuit. These are intended to punish the defendant and to serve as a warning for others not to repeat his or her actions. Your personal injury lawyer may suggest punitive damages if your accident was caused by a drunk driver. As is evident, you can indeed calculate car accident costs, especially if you have good legal counsel when doing so.