If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to financial compensation, also known as damages. Damages in personal injury cases are money that is primarily meant to cover the losses you’ve suffered because of the injury.
Every personal injury case is different. Your case’s value will depend on the nature of your injuries, how they’ve affected your life, and the extent of negligence involved. When you turn to Feller & Wendt, LLC™, we can help you understand the potential economic, non-economic, and punitive damages in your personal injury case and seek full compensation for your losses.
Economic Damages in Personal Injury Cases
Economic damages cover the direct financial costs you face after an injury. They include the money you’ve already lost and the future expenses you’re likely to face as a result of the accident.
Medical Expenses
You can seek personal injury compensation for both current and future medical care related to your injury. That includes hospital stays, surgeries, follow-up visits, medications, therapy, and other necessary treatments.
If your injuries require long-term care, our lawyers can work with medical experts to estimate those future costs. For example, if you suffered a spinal injury in a car accident, you may need years of physical therapy, assistive devices, or in-home care. These projected expenses can significantly increase your claim’s value.
Lost Wages and Loss of Earning Capacity
If your injury causes you to miss time from work while you recover, you may be entitled to compensation for your lost wages. This includes regular pay, overtime, bonuses, and other compensation you would have earned if you hadn’t been injured.
If your injury affects your ability to work in the future, you may also be entitled to compensation for loss of earning capacity. This type of compensation accounts for the income you’ll miss throughout your lifetime because of the injury. It may be available, for example, if you have a permanent disability or otherwise cannot return to your prior occupation.
In some cases, we may consult vocational experts to assess your future earning potential and how your injuries may affect your long-term career path.
Property Damage
Your claim may also cover any damage to your personal property. Vehicle repair or replacement after an auto accident is a common example. If the incident caused damage to other personal belongings, such as your phone, laptop, glasses, or clothing, you may also seek compensation for their replacement costs.
Out-of-Pocket Costs
Many injury victims overlook the smaller, daily expenses that add up quickly. These out-of-pocket costs may include:
- Transportation to and from medical appointments
- Parking fees at hospitals or other treatment facilities
- Hiring help for housework, childcare, or errands that you cannot manage due to your injury
- Home or vehicle modifications to accommodate your disability
- Durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs or walkers
Non-Economic Damages in Personal Injury Cases
Some of the most significant losses don’t have a price tag. This is where non-economic damages for personal injury cases come in.
Non-economic damages aim to compensate you for the emotional and physical impact of your injuries. While they’re harder to measure than economic damages, they play a critical role in fully compensating you for your losses.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering damages compensate you for the physical pain you suffer as a result of your injury. This includes both the acute pain you suffered during your recovery and any chronic pain you experience.
Emotional Distress
Emotional distress damages compensate you for any mental health struggles related to your injury. This can include anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. These conditions may stem from the initial trauma of the incident or the psychological impact of dealing with your injury.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
These damages apply when your injury prevents you from enjoying daily life the way you used to. That might mean giving up a hobby, missing out on time with loved ones, or being unable to travel. If you loved running, hiking, or playing with your kids—but your injury now makes those activities painful or impossible—you may be entitled to compensation for that loss.
Loss of Consortium
Loss of consortium refers to the damage an injury does to your marriage or relationship. It includes the loss of love, support, intimacy, and companionship that your spouse or partner may experience after your accident.
Punitive Damages
Unlike economic and non-economic damages, punitive damages are not meant to compensate you for specific losses. Rather, they’re meant to punish the at-fault party and deter similar behavior in the future.
Punitive damages are only available in rare cases involving intentional harm or extreme recklessness. For example, courts may award them in drunk driving accidents. They may also be available in defective product cases in which the manufacturer knew about the product’s risks but intentionally withheld that information from consumers.
Factors That Affect Compensation in a Personal Injury Case
Your personal injury case’s value often starts with how the injury has impacted you, including:
- The injury’s severity
- The length and complexity of your medical treatment
- The impact on your ability to work
- The effects on your quality of life
Other legal factors can affect how much personal injury compensation you ultimately receive, such as each party’s liability. Many states follow comparative negligence laws, which reduce your compensation if you’re partially at fault for the incident. Additionally, your compensation may be limited if your damages exceed the at-fault party’s insurance coverage limits.
Why Working With a Personal Injury Lawyer Matters
The insurance company might offer personal injury damages that are far below what your losses are truly worth. Determining the value of your damages takes time, resources, and legal experience—and advocating for that value can be challenging when you’re up against powerful insurers.
Our personal injury lawyers do the following to give you the best possible chances of recovering fair compensation:
- Gather evidence to prove your losses
- Work with medical experts and economic experts to understand how your injury may impact you in the future
- Calculate the value of your past, current, and future damages
- Identify all liable parties and insurance coverage
- Negotiate a settlement with insurance companies
- Represent you in court if the insurer refuses to make a reasonable settlement offer
Let us handle the legal details while you focus on your health. Our legal team will act on your behalf to pursue the full value of your claim, starting with a free consultation. We have over 70 years of combined experience and a 99 percent success rate in personal injury cases.
We're Ready to Help You Pursue the Compensation You Deserve
You’re likely entitled to more compensation than you realize. Medical bills and missed paychecks are only part of the picture—damages in personal injury cases may compensate you for long-term treatment, emotional distress, and changes to your ability to enjoy life.
When you turn to Feller & Wendt, LLC™, we’ll take the time to understand how your injury has affected you personally and build your case around those unique details. Every case is different, and our team is prepared to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Anything you say to the insurance company may reduce your compensation, so we encourage you to seek legal guidance early. We can protect you from the insurer’s tactics and guide you through your next steps.
With offices across Utah, Idaho, and Arizona, our trial-tested team is ready to advocate for you from day one. Call 801-499-5060 or contact us online to receive a free case evaluation today.
* This information provided by Feller & Wendt, LLC™ is for informational purposes only and should be in no way construed as legal advice.
