Someone who is injured by another party may be owed compensation for the injuries. Most people know this, but they might not be aware of what types of compensation are available or how much that compensation can be. Compensation includes a lot more than just medical bills, although those are included. Read below to learn more about some of the types of compensation that can be obtained in a personal injury case.
Medical Bills
Medical bills are often one of the biggest parts of the compensation for anyone who is injured. Severe injuries, like those that are injured at work may suffer, can lead to exorbitant medical bills. Even minor injuries can lead to large medical expenses as they may require emergency care and then follow-up visits to ensure the injuries are healing properly.
Repair Bills
If anything is broken during the incident, repair bills may be covered as part of the compensation. Even something like a smartphone screen can be expensive to repair, so this helps cut down on what may need to be paid by the victim. Repair bills depend on what was damaged, so they can include any items that were damaged when the accident occurred.
Lost Wages
Someone who is injured will likely need to take time off work to deal with the recovery. This shouldn’t mean they have to miss out on the pay they expected to receive. Instead, the compensation should cover any lost wages to help prevent financial issues as a result of the accident.
Lost Future Wages
For those with severe injuries, it may not be possible to continue working in the same career or at all. This means the injured person loses their ability to work and make the same amount of money they did in the past. It’s possible to request future wages as part of the compensation. This is typically calculated using the current wages and adding for inflation from year to year until the planned retirement.
Canceled Plans
Someone who is injured right before leaving on vacation may no longer be able to go. Unfortunately, there may not be enough time to get a full refund for travel expenses. When this is the case, the injured person may be able to receive compensation for the canceled plans to cover plane tickets, hotel rooms, excursions, and more.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering are hard to calculate, but it is something that those who are severely injured can request after an accident. The amount of pain and suffering damages will depend on the severity of the injuries as well as the current or ongoing pain and suffering the injuries will cause.
Punitive Damages
In some cases, it’s possible to receive punitive damages. These are added funds on top of other types of compensation that serve as a penalty to the at-fault party. The funds generally are given to the victim in cases where the at-fault party has caused similar injuries in the past and has not taken steps to prevent them from happening again.
If you’ve been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be owed compensation. This will include more than just your medical costs related to the injuries. It can also include all of the above types of compensation and more. Talk to a lawyer today to learn more about what compensation may look like in your case.