Most people are entitled to be compensated for their losses if they were injured because of another party’s negligence or careless actions. While the justice system recognizes that money cannot undo the accident that caused your injury, it works hard to provide fair financial damages to compensate for the injury. There are six main categories of damages you may be entitled to:
- Property Damages – You are entitled to repair or replacement of any property damaged in an accident – for example, damage to your car, your clothes, your eyeglasses, or other personal property.
- Medical Expenses – You are entitled to costs incurred for health care, including ambulance bills, hospital bills and charges for surgical, medical or chiropractic care. Depending upon the type of insurance coverage you or the other party purchased, you may be entitled to payment of these bills regardless of who caused the accident.
- Future Medical Expenses – You are entitled to a sum of money that will enable you to pay for future medical care of injuries or disabilities caused by the accident. For example, you may be entitled to future surgical care or future in-home nursing care if you are disabled.
- Lost Income – Even if you are self-employed or work on commission, you are entitled to be paid for the income lost because of your injury. These damages are meant to cover lost wages from your job while in the hospital, lost income while recuperating and visiting the doctor, and for continued therapy visits after your return to work.
- Lost Future Earning Capacity – If you are partially or completely disabled from employment because of your spinal cord injury, you are entitled to a sum of money that will compensate you for the lost capacity to earn income in the future.
- General Damages for Pain and Suffering – You are entitled to be compensated in dollars for the pain, suffering, disfigurement, and disability you have experienced as a result of the injury.
