When victims suffer injuries in an accident, they should focus on their health and recovery. However, a personal injury victim may soon feel consumed by stress and worry regarding the financial consequences and impacts that stem from the injuries suffered in the accident. The law delineates the type of damages that injured individuals may qualify to pursue under the law. Damages in a personal injury case can include both economic and non-economic damages. Economic Damages These damages include the losses that many victims first consider: the financial expenses and costs of the injuries they have suffered. These damages constitute tangible monetary losses that you can easily estimate and calculate based on specific evidence, such as bills, receipts, and other records. In California, the economic losses in a personal injury case most commonly include: Medical expenses – All costs associated with the emergency care and treatment of your injuries inclusive of rehabilitation and any necessary therapy. Income losses – Lost wages while you recover from your injuries as well as any impacts on your ability to fulfill your work duties and meet the obligations necessary. Property damage – Some personal injury cases can include damage to your personal property that occurred during the accident. If you also sustained damage to your property, you should include that in your claim and/or lawsuit. By working with the personal injury lawyers at The May Firm, you will receive a better understanding of the damages you are entitled to recover once we review your specific case. Non-Economic Damages Not every loss you suffer involves an exact monetary value. In fact, some of the most impactful and traumatic losses don’t relate to your finances at all. These non-economic losses include the damages you suffer to your way of life. Each victim suffers different non-economic damages. The experience of one victim will not necessarily reflect that of another, and the impacts of an injury to a person can involve many layers that affect how you live and enjoy your life. Non-economic damages in a personal injury case can include: Pain and suffering – Serious injuries often prove painful as they occur and throughout recovery. Treatments, surgeries, and other procedures can exacerbate that pain and discomfort in a victim. The suffering you endure after an accident can result in compensation in an injury claim or lawsuit. Emotional and mental trauma – The events of an accident and its aftermath can cause intense trauma, emotional distress, and psychological impacts that affect a victim’s day-to-day life and future. The distress that you suffer to your emotional and mental wellbeing from an accident can result in compensation in the form of money in a personal injury matter. Loss of quality of life and enjoyment – Your personal life experience is unique to you. When your ability to enjoy your life as you did before the accident or your quality of life goes down because of your injuries, you can seek these often irreparable damages as part of your personal injury claim. Although no amount of money can make up for the losses you’ve suffered, a claim or lawsuit allows for you to receive compensation for the unfortunate and tragic effects that the accident and your injuries have had on your life now and in the future. Loss of consortium – The family of personal injury survivors can also suffer losses due to an accident. In many cases, the family may need to provide for your primary care and well-being. The relationship that your family members once enjoyed with you may change forever because of an accident. These family members may qualify for compensation for the loss of relationship and companionship that has resulted from your injuries. Wrongful death – If your loved one died in a preventable accident, your family may face not only a deep emotional loss but also unexpected financial hardship. In a wrongful death claim, the surviving family members of a loved one that has died in an accident caused by negligence may qualify to pursue compensation. Monetary compensation can include the losses of financial contribution to the family unit as well as funeral and burial expenses.