How Accident Damages Are Calculated
We aim to help our clients get justice so they can heal financially, physically, and emotionally. We’ll fight for our clients to receive full and fair compensation. The damages can be categorized as economic and non-economic.
Economic damages can be calculated exactly because they refer to monetary losses.
You’re entitled to seek the following:
- Lost Wages: This will cover the days of work you missed because of the accident. If the injuries are severe, you may be away from work for an undetermined amount of time.
- Medical Expenses: Compensation for your past and current medical care will allow you to cover the medical expenses you’ve already incurred and continue to get the treatment you need.
- Diminished Earning Capacity: If you find that you have to take a different position due to a permanent injury, you are entitled to seek compensation to cover that “gap.” When someone else’s negligence resulted in your diminished earning capacity, you shouldn’t have to bear that burden.
- Lost Earnings: In the event you cannot return to work at all, your attorney will calculate what you would have earned if you had been able to return to work. The goal is to ensure you’ll have the compensation you need to continue living your life.
There is another important aspect of your recovery and compensation that you may not have thought about as much. Those would be the non-economic damages. An accident does more than cause significant financial damage.
If you’re no longer able to walk, do your job, participate in hobbies you used to enjoy, or are missing out on other life events, it’s going to take an emotional toll. These consequences cannot be ignored when determining your compensation.
Non-economic damages can include the following:
- Pain and Suffering: The accident and injuries you sustained were likely painful. If you experienced pain and suffering from your injuries, our lawyers will take this into account when determining compensation.
- Mental Anguish: Losing a limb or an injury that causes permanent disfigurement can cause mental anguish and emotional distress. That also needs to be accounted for.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: If a motorcycle accident results in paralysis and you’re no longer able to go for walks or move in the way you used to, this changes your life significantly, and it can be difficult to come to terms with. When these instances are the result of someone else’s negligence, your attorney will seek appropriate compensation for those losses.
While economic and non-economic damages are the main components of compensation, punitive damages may also apply. These damages serve to punish the guilty party.
Damages may be available if the negligent party acted in an egregious manner, such as driving while under the influence or going well above the speed limit. These are typically awarded by a jury if your claim is forced to move to a civil court.
An experienced Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer from our law firm will go over everything that happened and calculate fair compensation for your injuries. We’ll also gather evidence to show how the other party was at fault for you to receive compensation.