Car Accident Claim: Types of Damages You Can Recover

Accidents can occur in split seconds and completely change the lives of the people involved. While some are lucky to get away with only property damage, others aren’t that lucky. Getting hurt or sustaining severe injuries and property damage means you can make a car accident claim.

It is best to consult a personal injury attorney in Alaska to help you with a personal injury claim since recovering from an auto accident can be time consuming and painful. Having an experienced lawyer by your side ensures that you don’t have to deal with all the paperwork and effort made to file for the case.

Making a claim can help you recover compensation for the damages you experienced due to the accident. Here are the different types of damages your attorney might help you recover.

Medical Expenses

The injuries sustained in car accidents can range from minor scratches and bruises to severe injuries, permanent disabilities, or even fatalities. No matter what type of injuries you sustain, you will have to get treatments. Depending on your injury, you might require surgeries, therapy, medical assistance, and/or other treatments.

All the medical expenses of the surgeries and other treatments, as well as future medical costs, can be covered in the personal injury claim. It is important to keep all the medical reports and bills with you to determine the payment you had to make for your injuries. The future medical expenses will also be calculated to reach an estimate for the claim.

Property Damages

The property damage incurred due to the car accident can also be recovered in the compensation. This not just include the car, but also the valuable items inside the car that got damaged in the accident. Claims in this category include jewelry, shoes, clothing, laptop, cell phone, and more.

Loss of Employment and Lost Wages

Due to the accident and throughout the process of recovery, you might have to take time off from your work and might lose wages. This can be easily recovered in the personal injury claim. However, your car accident lawyer in Alaska would have to prove that you were earning a specified amount of money before the accident and calculate the number of lost wages throughout the recovery process.

In severe cases, victims might end up losing their jobs because of a permanent disability or if they lose their ability to meet the demand of their work. You would be able to recover the future earnings too, with the help of your attorney.

Non-Economic Compensatory Damages

There are other non-economic injuries that can be compensated if your lawyer is able to prove them. These include:

  • Disfigurement
  • Loss of enjoyment
  • Emotional distress
  • Pain and suffering

There isn’t any specific formula to calculate these damages, which makes it difficult to estimate the value. Your injury attorney in Alaska would consider various factors to determine the value of these damages, including your pre-existing disfigurement or injures, your lifestyle, and your work.

Wrongful Death

In severe auto accident cases that end up in fatalities, the loved ones may be able to recover wrongful death damages. This may include funeral and burial expenses, loss of income, the medical expenses the took care of while the victim was in the hospital, the pain and sufferings the victim endured before passing away, loss of affection and love, loss of consortium, and more. Your lawyer would be able to advise the kinds of damages you can claim in the personal injury case that resulted in the wrongful death.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages can be recovered in very rare cases. These are typically awarded if the conduct of the negligent driver was highly irresponsible. These are granted to ensure the negligent part learns from their inappropriate behavior and discourage it in the future.

If you have been involved in an auto accident, or if any of your loved ones were a victim of someone’s negligent driving, then you can file for a car accident claim to recover damages. However, getting the compensation you deserve can be highly complex, which is why it is best to seek legal advice. Otherwise, you might end up accepting a low settlement offer or even losing the personal injury claim.

To avoid making any mistake and to ensure you recover the compensation you rightfully deserve for the injuries, damages, and pain and sufferings you endured due to the accident, be sure to get in touch with  Barber & Associates, to consult with a highly qualified and experienced auto accident attorney in Alaska.

Leave a Comment