When you file a personal lawsuit, the purpose behind the lawsuit is to gain monetary compensation for what happened to you. The monetary compensation that you are granted is based on two different categories of damages: economic damages and non-economic damages. You need to understand what category your damages fall under.
Economic Damage: Easier to Quantify
The first thing you need to do is make sure that there is economic damage. Economic damage is pretty straightforward; it's easier to define than non-economic damage.
If you had to get medical care, all your medical care would be considered an economic damage. If you had to make adjustments to your home or vehicle because of your injury, that would be an economic damage. If you were not able to work for a period of time, that would be an economic damage.
A less obvious economic damage is compensation for tasks that you are not able to do. For example, if you usually take care of your kids every day or watch your grandkids after work, and you are not able to do that for a period of time, the cost of getting someone else to take over those tasks is considered an economic damage.
At its most basic, an economic damage is one that you can attach an easy number to based upon a bill or fee that you had had to pay.
Non-Economic Damage: Harder to Quantify
Non-economic damages can be a little harder to qualify. Non-economic damages do not come with a tidy bill that tells you how much money you are entitled to get.
Non-economic damage is intended to compensate you for the way that your injury changed your life. For example, if your injury left you stressed and afraid to drive, that would be a non-economic damage. Or if your injury left you unable to participate in the hobbies and activities that you enjoy, that would be a non-economic damage. For this type of damage, you have to provide evidence of how your life has changed.
In general, with economic damage, you can prove through bills and receipts the exact damages that you are entitled to. With non-economic damages, it is a little harder to show their dollar amount; however, you can use evidence to show how whatever happened has impacted your life. Your attorney can help you gather the evidence you need to prove both your economic and non-economic damages that you sustained.
For more information on the types of damages in a lawsuit, contact firms like Cok Kinzler PLLP.
Share21 March 2018
Hello everyone, my name is Nina Zoulon. On this site, I am going to share information about hiring a personal injury attorney. I will also talk about my journey to procuring those services for myself. When I was a beginning driver, I was on the road constantly. During one of those excursions, a driver going the opposite direction crossed the centerline and plowed straight into my vehicle. I was trapped by the dashboard for hours while firefighters helped me escape. After the accident, the other driver tried to blame my inexperience on the accident. I hired a lawyer to help me fight the case and I won. I would like to discuss personal injury attorney services in more detail to help other people win their cases in court. Thanks.
