A car accident can be devastating and leave victims and families with lasting damages. Families may suffer physically and financially as a result of someone else’s negligence. With a successful auto accident claim, victims may be able to collect compensation for their losses.
There are usually two types of damages victims could collect from an auto accident claim: economic and non-economic damages. When pursuing an auto accident claim, it can help to understand the two different kinds of damages. Here is what you should know:
Economic damages
Economic damages include actual financial losses. One common type of economic damage includes medical expenses. A victim of an auto accident may be able to recover compensation for surgery, hospital stay, medicine, rehabilitation, medical equipment, doctor visits, in-home care and future medical costs.
Another type of economic damage can include property damage. An auto accident, for example, may have caused damage to the victim’s vehicle. Damages could be collected to make repairs to a vehicle or purchase a new one. Victims of auto accidents may also suffer lost wages or job loss. Economic damages could cover lost wages and loss of future earnings.
If a victim of an auto accident suffered fatal injuries, then the economic damages may transfer to their family. The survivors of a fatal auto accident could seek damages through a wrongful death claim to cover funeral costs and loss of income if the victim was the main provider.
Non-economic damages
Non-economic damages are intangible losses. These losses could include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment from life, loss of companionship or emotional anguish. It may be harder to identify non-economic damages in a car accident case, but they’re an essential part of the claim.
Legal guidance can help victims collect evidence of financial losses as a result of a car accident.
