What Kind of Damages Can You Actually Claim From a Motor Accident?
Posted by admin at 17 November 2020, at 06 : 54 AM
You’ve probably seen plenty of advertisements on TV or on the internet regarding car accidents and claims. In fact, there are some companies that claim you can get six-digit figures for your car accident. A lot of these advertisements draw people to these companies, seeking help for their own accidents.
But many of them are left disappointed once they realize just how little they might receive for their incident. In fact, many people try to cheat the system with “crash for cash” scams. They ultimately get caught and might even lose money as a result. The reality is that damage claims need to be inspected very carefully and you need to take many things into consideration. So what kind of damages can you actually claim? Let’s find out.
Understanding the difference between damage types
There are three main types of damage that are important to understand when it comes to making a damage claim. These are economic, non-economic and punitive.
Economic damage
Economic damage has a dollar amount attached to it. Economic damages could include past and future medical expenses related to the accident, therapy, home modifications due to your injuries, medical aids or potentially even funeral and burial expenses. It can also include future and past wages or cuts to your pay due to your medical condition.
Non-economic damage
Non-economic damages do not have an immediate price tag attached. These can be difficult to gauge when it comes to the value, so you’ll often need to speak to your insurance company or attorney to help. This can include damages such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, inconvenience, or even the loss of companionship as a result of your injuries.
Punitive damage
Lastly, there are punitive damages. This usually only occurs when a defendant’s actions are grossly negligent or intentional. They can also be known as exemplary damages and are intended as harsh punishment for a defendant’s actions or inactions. They’re not intended to help victims recover from their injuries or restore their wellbeing.
This can happen if the defendant was driving under the influence or with excessive speed. These actions could have resulted in your motor accident, thus causing the defendant to be charged with punitive damages that could be a significant portion of your claim.
Some final words
If you’re ever in a car accident then you should immediately speak to a lawyer and your insurance company. The more people you talk to, the easier it’ll be to examine how much you can claim in damages to get a realistic number. Many companies claim extreme numbers because they want to lure you into using them as a service.
In reality, you’ll need to suffer a lot of damage to your car, your job and even your body to truly claim a lot of money. After all, the claim is to pay for things that you’ve lost or missed out on as a result of the accident, so it’s quite easy to exaggerate these numbers.