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Standing Up For What I Knew Was Right

One day when I was driving on the freeway, I was completely blindsided by another car pummeling down the hill. I didn't know what to do or what went wrong, but I knew things were bad. I couldn't feel my feet at first, and my face was covered in liquid that turned out to be blood. When the ambulance arrived I could see the concern on their faces, and it was frustrating to know what was about to come. Fortunately, I was able to get great medical care, and talk with a personal injury attorney that helped me to sort out everything else. Read this website to find out how accident attorneys can help you to make a difference in your own life.

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Standing Up For What I Knew Was Right

What Counts As Non-Economic Damages

by Dylan Tucker

In a personal injury lawsuit, you are able to seek compensation for both economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages are ones that can easily be given an exact price or value. Non-economic damages are a little harder to quantify and the amount awarded for non-economic damages often is up to the jury, or it can be negotiated as part of a settlement.

There are many different types of damage that fall into the category of being non-economic. These types of losses are often also called general damages.

Pain and Suffering

One of the most commonly known types of non-economic damage is pain and suffering. This is supposed to compensation you for any pain that the defendant put you through, as well as the suffering that resulted from that pain. Pain and suffering can be both emotional and physical.

Physical Impairment or Disfigurement

If you were injured in a way that impaired part of your body, this is not just an economic loss. It also counts as a non-economic loss as well. As a physical impairment or disfigurement isn't just going to run up your medical bills, it is also going to cost you in ways that may be hard to quantify or explain. That is why it counts as a non-economic, but still significant, damage.

Mental Anguish

Mental anguish and paint and suffered as often seen as the same type of non-economic damage. However, they can be different. For example, if you suffer anxiety at the thought of getting into a car after a severe car accident, that would qualify as mental anguish. Or if you fell into a depression because of your injures, that would count as mental anguish. Any evidence that the actions of the defendants caused you mental distress will help.

Loss of Consortium

Loss of consortium is something that is attached to your spouse or partner. If your injury prevents you from engaging in the act of being present for your spouse, and doing things such as engaging in a social life, rendering services such as cleaning the house or taking care of the car, showing affection and love, or a change in temperament or disposition due to the accident, loss of consortium can be awarded specifically to the spouse of the injured party.

Lowered Quality of Life

Next, if you can show that your accident lowered your quality of life, you can be compensated for that too. For example, if your injury left you unable to participate in running, something you did on a regular basis, you could seek compensation for that. Any lower quality of life that you can provide can be used to build your non-economic case for damages.

When it comes to non-economic damages, although you don't have to back the claims up with bills or receipts, you are going to want to do what you can to demonstrate how these injuries impacted and changed your life. Contact a personal injury lawyer for more help.

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