Have you suffered or sustained injuries due to someone else’s negligence? If yes, you can file a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation. State law requires the negligent party to compensate you for your physical injuries, mental anguish, and other damages. An example of a personal injury case is a dog bite compensation claim.
Determining the proper compensation for a dog bite claim isn’t always easy. There are many factors to consider, and each case is unique. But the good news is that this article will explain the types of damages you can recover in a personal injury case. And understanding them can simplify the process of calculating the value of your dog bite recoveries.
That said, you can recover various damages in a personal injury case. These include:
- Medical Expenses
One of the first things you should do after a dog bite is to seek emergency medical care. A dog bite may cause severe infections like rabies and other complications if not treated immediately.
Aside from getting treatment for your injuries, going to the hospital will help you document your injuries and the expenses you incurred. You need to secure a copy of your medical records, hospital bill, and other proof of expenses related to your medical care, such as doctor’s fees, surgeries, and medications. These records constitute essential evidence for your personal injury claim.
If you don’t have medical insurance, you’ll have to pay your medical expenses out of pocket. However, you may be able to recover your medical expenses from the negligent party. For this reason, ensure you have the proper documentation for the medical expenses related to your personal injury case.
- General Damages
Apart from the medical expenses, you may seek compensation for general damages. This refers to compensation awarded for intangible losses due to the injury.
There are several types of general damages in a personal injury case. These may include the following:
- Pain And Suffering: This refers to physical pain from the injury and the emotional trauma you experienced.
- Reduced Quality Of Life: Your quality of life is affected if your injury prevents you from enjoying the activities you used to do.
- Disfigurement Or Impairment: Injuries that cause you to be disfigured, scarred, or impaired can cause significant emotional distress.
- Loss Of Companionship: Your injury may hinder you from providing companionship and showing affection to your spouse.
Generally, it’s difficult to compute reasonable compensation for general damages. That’s because such damages differ from one person to another. However, your lawyer can work with specialized professionals to help determine a fair amount for general damages compensation.
- Loss Of Income
You may not be able to report for work after sustaining injuries due to an accident. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may need to take several days or a few weeks off work to rest and fully recover.
There’s a loss of income since you couldn’t work because of your injuries or you missed work to undergo surgery, rehabilitation, or other medical treatment. Lost income may include employee benefits, such as commissions or bonuses, that you weren’t able to receive due to your absence from work.
In rare cases, you can lose your job if your injuries prevent you from performing your regular duties. This is also considered lost income. Therefore, you may consider filing a personal injury case to seek compensation for past and future lost income.
- Property Damage Or Loss
Sometimes your personal property might get lost or damaged in an accident. This may include your vehicle, smartphone, laptop, jewelry, etc. Some of these items might be too expensive to repair or replace.
However, you can file a case seeking compensation. Tort law requires the person responsible to compensate you for lost or damaged personal property.
Like any other kind of damage, determining a fair amount to compensate you for property damage or loss is challenging. That’s because most assets depreciate over time. For this reason, your lawyer may hire professionals to help determine the correct value of damaged or lost items.
- Punitive Damages
Lastly, you may recover punitive damages in a personal injury case. But you need to note that this damage isn’t intended to compensate you for any loss but rather to punish the reckless party. It’s also used to instill fear in other people and prevent them from acting carelessly.
Takeaway
As detailed above, there are various kinds of damages you can recover in a personal injury lawsuit. There are economic losses, such as medical expenses, lost income, and property damage. On the other hand, there are non-economic losses like pain and suffering, which are challenging to quantify. You may need the assistance of an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you navigate the complexities of seeking compensatory damages.
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