There are thousands of car accidents every day. They can happen at any time and can have life-altering effects. If you are one of the many unfortunate individuals involved in a car accident, what can you recover as a result of someone else’s negligence? What will the at-fault party’s insurance cover? Here are a few of the most common damages covered by car insurance following an automobile accident.
Property Damage
Thankfully, not every auto accident causes injuries. However, individuals can still suffer financially when their car is damaged. As long as you were not at fault in the accident, the other driver’s car insurance should cover the cost of getting your car repaired (or the market value of the car if it is damaged beyond repair), towing and storage expenses, as well as rental expenses while your car is being repaired.
Specific Damages
Specific damages refers to damages that have a specific valued amount related to an accident-related injury. These damages include the cost of medical bills which you have incurred due to treatment related to the injuries you sustained in the accident. As long as the treatment is reasonable in scope and duration, the at-fault driver’s car insurance covers those expenses. Additionally, it should cover any wages you lost as a result of the accident and loss of earning capacity.
General Damages
General damages refers to damages that are not necessarily easily calculated dollar amounts. These damages most often include pain and suffering and emotional distress you have endured as a result of the other driver’s negligence. These damages are subjective and can range in value depending on the severity of the accident and each auto accident victim’s personal situation.
Punitive Damages
In certain circumstances, when the at-fault driver is especially negligent in causing the accident, you may also receive punitive damages. Again, these damages are not easily calculated dollar amounts and can range depending on the specific factors involved in an accident. Punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant for the egregious behavior, which often comes into play when the person causing the accident is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, is driving at a reckless speed, and/or hits your car and runs.
It is important to note that each state requires all drivers to have car insurance with minimum policy limits. The at-fault driver’s car insurance will only pay out up to the police limits on the at-fault driver’s policy, regardless of how much your property damage, specific damages and/or general damages may be.
