How To Determine Damages After a Car Accident
Car accident damages are any costs, losses, or harm incurred as a result of the accident. The truth is that these costs can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars or even more. To get the compensation you deserve, you will want to invest time in accurately determining all the damages you incurred or will incur due to your accident. Some costs are simple to figure out, whereas others can be harder to determine. Below is a guide to help you understand the types of damages in car accident cases and the steps involved in determining them.
Types of Damages in Car Accident Cases
After an auto accident, you may incur several damages. In car accident cases, damages are generally categorized into two types: economic and non-economic damages.
- Economic Damages
These are objectively verifiable losses that can be calculated using bills, receipts, invoices, and other financial documentation. Figuring out economic damages is simple. Economic damages include;
- Medical Expenses: These include costs for emergency medical services or ambulance care, X-rays of medical imaging, surgical care, medicines, physical therapy, hospital stays, rehabilitative care, and any future medical care related to the accident.
- Lost Wages: This includes lost income for the days you were unable to work due to the accident and also potential future income if your injuries affect your ability to work long-term.
- Property Damage: This includes costs to repair or replace your car or any other personal property damaged in the accident.
- Out-of-Pocket Expenses: These include costs for renting a car, home modifications, and transportation to medical appointments.
- Non-Economic Damages
These are subjective, non-financial losses that are not easily quantifiable. They include the following;
- Pain and Suffering: This is physical discomfort and emotional distress you experience because of the accident.
- Emotional Distress: This refers to mental suffering as a result of the accident. Symptoms include anxiety and depression.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: This refers to when an injury affects your ability to participate in or find pleasure from activities you enjoyed before the accident.
Steps To Determine Damages
Determining damages after a car accident involves several key steps, including the following;
- Gather Evidence: Collect all relevant evidence, including police reports, medical records, proof of lost wages, repair estimates, bills, receipts, and invoices for out-of-pocket expenses. Pictures and videos taken at the accident scene are also crucial pieces of evidence that can help determine damages.
- Calculate Economic Damages: Add up all your economic damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, property damage costs, and out-of-pocket expenses.
- Calculate Non-Economic Damages: Calculating non-economic damages is not as straightforward as calculating economic damages. An attorney can help with calculating non-economic damages. The two common methods used to calculate non-economic damages are the multiplier method, which involves multiplying economic damages by a factor between 1.5 and 5, and the per diem method, which allocates a daily rate for pain and suffering and then multiplies that rate by the number of days you’ve been impacted.
- Consider Future Damages: Be mindful of potential future damages, such as future medical expenses, lost earning capacity, and ongoing rehabilitation costs.
Contact Us for Legal Help
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, contact our West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys at The Pendas Law Firm for legal help. We can help you determine your damages and help you seek the compensation you deserve.
The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the Ocala, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, Bradenton, Daytona Beach, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Naples, and Melbourne areas.
