After being involved in a car accident, one of the main questions you could be asking yourself is what forms of compensation you qualify for. There are many types of car accident injury compensation and you may or may not be eligible for any or all of them.
The first thing the insurance company will do is to consider whether you were at fault. If they find you even slightly at fault, the amount of compensation you qualify for will greatly reduce. For this reason, it is always important to speak to a car accident attorney in Fort Lauderdale before providing any information to the insurance company. A lawyer will guide you on what information to tell the insurance company so that they don’t end up using your words against you.
The two main forms of damages
In any personal injury cases, there exist two forms of damages: specific damages and general damages. Specific damages are generally those that refer to an amount of money you ended up using as a result of the car accident. General damages, on the other hand are more subjective since you cannot immediately put a figure on them.
Forms of specific damages
- Cost of medical care: When involved in a car accident, you may use your own money to seek medical care. You may not only be compensated for medical bills but also other medical costs such as therapies, diagnostic equipment among other expenses.
- Loss of earning capacity: The car accident might render one unable to continue with employment. Therefore, you may receive compensation for the loss of future work potential or the inability to work effectively due to the injuries.
- Lost wages: If you missed work due to the car injuries, you may be compensated for the lost wages or bonuses.
- Property loss: Car accidents can also result in loss of property or damage to your car that requires repairs. You may qualify for compensation for the car repairs, towing and the cost of renting a new car. Some insurers also compensate for vehicle upgrades needed after the car accident.
Forms of general damages
- Pain and suffering: If you have suffered physical pain and suffering, you’ll be compensated for this. This includes physical pain as a result of soft tissue damage, broken bones, organ damage and other injuries related to car accidents. Car accident victims may experience persistent pain due to injuries such as spinal cord injuries.
- Emotional distress: Following the accident, you may experience emotional distress that manifests in form of depression, guilt, frustration, lack of sleep or anxiety. You can be compensated for this.
- Loss of consortium: If the car accident has limited your ability to engage in marital relations whether sex, companionship or affection or inability to perform the usual parenting tasks, you may be compensated for this.
- Loss of extremity: Some car accident victims end up losing a limb or limbs and experience severe pain where the limb used to be. This psychological trauma can be compensated.
