Bodily Injury Attorneys
Past and Future Medical Costs
You may be entitled to receive compensation for medical expenses that you incur from accidents that are not your fault. Injuries that are incurred from an accident require treatment that can be tremendously costly. These costs can be recovered when proper medical documentation is demonstrated.
You can also be entitled to future medical costs. Future medical costs are expenses for medical care that will be incurred due to treatment of accident-related injuries that will occur after litigation is resolved. In other words, these are projected costs for treatment that you must receive throughout your life due to injuries stemmed from the accident.
Pain and Suffering
Victims of automobile accidents experience more than just physical injuries. Pain and Suffering is the legal term for the physical and emotional stress caused from an auto accident.
Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
The brain and spinal cord are very sensitive to injury. Even a low impact accident can result in devastating injuries. The spinal cord does not have the ability to repair itself and requires very specialized medical treatment.
Wrongful Death
A wrongful death action may be brought by the estate of the deceased party. Claims for personal injury, pain and suffering, or expenses incurred prior to the death of the accident victim are also brought by the personal representative. The settlements from these actions belong to the estate and may pass to different parties as directed by the victim’s will.
Punitive Damages
In some cases where the actions of the at-fault driver are especially egregious, you may be able to recover punitive damages. These damages are a monetary penalty on the irresponsible driver for their bad actions.
Out of Pocket Expenses
Victims of auto accidents often incur significant amounts of out of pocket expenses. Medical copayments; gas to and from medical treatment; and medical equipment not covered under health insurance. These expenses can and should be recovered from the at-fault driver.
Lost Income
Lost income accounts for both lost wages and lost compensation. Lost wages are the measure of what you earn for your work. Lost compensation includes any other benefits you receive from employment. This can refer to benefits such as lost bonuses, lost vacation time and lost retirement benefits.
Loss of Earning Capacity
Lost earning capacity refers to your future income potential. Sometimes your injuries are so severe that you have to change jobs or are no longer able to work. For example, a trucker could have been earning $75,000 per year and expected to increase that amount a certain amount over the next several years. Now he is unable to drive long distances or for long periods of time due to back pain. He takes a job as a recruiter for a large trucking company making only $30,000 per year. The at-fault party should compensate him for the change to his earning capacity.