There are many types of damages you can recover when bringing a personal injury claim. The most common elements of damage include, medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage, and pain and suffering.
Regarding medical bills, you are entitled to recover all of the medical bills you have already incurred (“past” medical bills) and also those bills you will likely incur in the future (“future” medical bills). If you have suffered significant injuries, your medical bills will likely be very significant and will be a very important part of your injury claim.
If you have been forced to miss work as a result of your injuries, you are entitled to recover your lost wages. Also, if you remain unable to work, you can also recover your future lost wages or lost earning capacity. You can recover these future damages if a doctor will testify that you have to miss work in the future due to your injuries. You will also be able to recover if you are able to return to work, but you are not able to earn as much as you did prior to the accident.
Pain and suffering damages can be the most valuable part of your claim. Generally, the more serious your injuries are, the more you will be entitled to recover for pain and suffering. You can recover these damages for both the past and the future. There is no set formula for calculating these damages, so it is critical that you speak to an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss the value of your claim.
The amount that you can recover is often determined by the amount of available insurance the at-fault driver has. For example, if the other driver has $1 million in liability insurance, this is usually enough coverage to handle most personal injury cases. Of course, death cases and severe or catastrophic injury cases can be worth far more than $1 million.
However, the more typical scenario involves at-fault drivers who only have $10,000 in liability coverage. What do you do if your damages far exceed this amount? What if you have $50,000 in medical bills but the other driver has minimal insurance? What if you need surgery or ongoing medical treatment but the other driver does not have enough insurance to pay for all your damages?
An experienced auto accident lawyer in Tampa, FL can answer these questions. It is critical that you call a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights and protect yourself by recovering all monies that are available to compensate you.
Thanks to Jeff Murphy Law for their insight into personal injury claims and damages you can claim for a car accident.
