What Are Damages in a Personal Injury Case?

Types of Recoverable Damages

The amount and type of compensation a victim receives are based on the facts of their case, so each one will be different. However, there are a number of different types of compensation or recoverable damages that a victim may receive when working with a personal injury firm. These include the following.

• Medical Bills – Medical bills resulting from the accident are the most common type of compensation requested. This can include medical bills in the days and weeks after the accident, including bills for hospital stays, as well as for medical bills the victim may have in the future as a result of long-term or permanent injuries. 
• Lifestyle Adaptations – In the case of permanent injuries, the victim’s lifestyle may be altered. They may require adaptations to make their home disabled-friendly or may require other assistance to learn how to live with their injuries in the future. In some cases, these lifestyle adaptations may be covered in the compensation the victim receives. 
• Pain and Physical Suffering – It is possible for victims to receive compensation for the pain they have after the accident and in the future if they have permanent injuries. This is beyond the medical compensation they may receive, and the amount can vary from case-to-case. 
• Emotional Suffering – Emotional suffering, like physical suffering, may be a type of damage awarded to the victims after an accident. Damages for emotional suffering tend to be viable in the most serious of cases where the victim suffers fear, depression, or other mental health issues as a direct result of the accident. 
• Lost Wages – After an accident, a victim who is injured may need to miss work while they recover. If the victim is permanently injured, they may not be able to work in the same capacity again. In these cases, the victim could obtain lost wages for the income lost while they recovered or lost wages for the future income they will not be able to earn. 
• Punitive Damages – Punitive damages are those that are brought as a punishment for the at-fault party. These don’t happen as often as other types of damages and are generally only awarded in extreme cases. One time they might be used is when the at-fault party has already caused other accidents in the same way and did not take any actions to prevent it from happening again. 

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