If you suffer injuries due to someone else’s negligence, you may be interested in seeking financial compensation. Often, this starts with direct financial costs that you are facing. You may have had to pay for medical treatment, for example, so you have outstanding hospital bills. Or you may have missed out on money that you otherwise would have earned because you could not go to work while you were recovering from your injuries.
This is a good place to begin, but it is important to understand that you may also deserve compensation for non-economic damages. These do not always have a fixed financial dollar amount connected to them the way that a hospital bill does. What are some examples of non-economic damages?
Pain and suffering
Perhaps the clearest example of non-economic damage is pain and suffering that you experienced during the incident. Maybe you suffered injuries in a traumatic car accident. You had to experience significant pain at the time of the injury and potentially for days, weeks or even months during your recovery.
Another related issue is emotional trauma. Some people even develop disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after an accident.
Furthermore, consider the impact on your life. You may be able to seek compensation for a loss of enjoyment in life, such as if you now have chronic pain or a disability. Family members may be able to seek compensation for a loss of consortium. Your injuries are impacting your relationships and your day-to-day life in significant ways, even when not directly costing you money.
Seeking full compensation
These are a few of the areas to consider if you have been injured. Be sure you know exactly what legal options you have to seek full compensation.