A car accident can leave you reeling in more ways than one. If you’ve recently been injured in a wreck, then you’re probably in a great deal of physical and emotional pain which can be difficult to get a handle on when your financial losses are making it difficult to make ends meet. In the meantime, you might be considering whether legal action is right for you and, if so, how much your claim is worth. Hopefully this post will help you get a better sense of the value of your case.
Know these damages
To get an accurate sense of the damages inflicted upon you, you’ll want to look at the various damage categories. Breaking it down like this can make an overwhelming process seem much easier.
- Medical expenses: These damages include not only the costs you have already incurred, but also your expected medical expenses and rehabilitation costs. Calculating these future costs can be tricky, though, and they shouldn’t be founded on speculation. That’s why it’s oftentimes helpful to have a medical expert testify on this point.
- Lost wages: Serious injuries can knock you out of work for a long time, thereby disrupting your financial stability. Fortunately, you might be able to recover your lost wages, which are easily calculated by using your pay stubs. These damages don’t end there, though. You might also be able to recover compensation for your expected lost wages and even your lost earnings capacity if your injuries affect the amount or type of work you can perform.
- Pain and suffering: You should be compensated for the physical and emotional harm caused to you, but these damages can be challenging to calculate, thus making them subject to disagreement. However, painting a picture of your physical and emotional limitations, as well as the pervasiveness of your injuries, can go a long way toward showing the extent of your injuries.
You need strong evidence presented persuasively
Proving damages often takes a backseat to proving fault, but this is a mistake. You need to be prepared with the evidence required to present a holistic case: one that speaks to negligence, causation, and damages. The good news is that you don’t have to take on that task alone. Skilled legal professionals stand ready to assist you in gathering evidence, calculating your losses, and presenting arguments both at the negotiating table and in court.