Being injured in an automobile accident can leave you with serious injuries and can result in you being unable to earn a living for several weeks or months. If you were not at fault for the accident, you shouldn’t have to be punished for it financially. Along with medical expenses and the loss of earnings, there are other types of compensation claims you can make against the guilty driver. This article will discuss these alternative scenarios.
Special Damages
Special damages represent expenses that you’ve already incurred as a result of being in a car accident. Some of these expenses include:
- Past lost income, which are lost wages up to the date of a claim.
- Medical expenses.
- Repairs to vehicle.
- Cost of hiring a vehicle.
- Necessary travel expenses.
General Damages
Compensation amounts in this category do not have a set value and are usually calculated by an injury lawyer. They include compensation for pain and suffering and any losses directly resulting from an accident. You may receive compensation for:
- Trauma, pain, and suffering caused by the physical injury you received. This may include PTSD, whiplash, or psychiatric trauma.
- Future financial losses; such as future lost earnings.
- Compensation for uncertain losses, which includes expenses due to reduced life expectancy resulting from an accident.
Insurance Carrier Outlays
After an accident, there are usually expenses that need to be paid immediately, such as towing your vehicle to a repair shop, replacing a pair of glasses, or hospitalisation expenses. Your motor vehicle insurance company may pay these expenses and you can include their payments as part of your car accident claims. Your insurance carrier will be reimbursed for the claims they’ve already paid. Your solicitor should automatically include these expenses in your case.
Interest on Compensation
You are allowed to claim interest on the compensation you receive for both general and special damages. The amount of interest you’re paid varies and depends on whether it is for special or for general damages. Interest on general damages can only be claimed from the time your claim goes to court, but the interest for special damages starts from the time your accident occurred. You can only claim the interest when your claim gets underway in court proceedings.
Legal Expenses
Regardless of your claim amount you won’t need to directly pay any legal expenses as these are deducted from your pay out. Making your claim through a no-win, no-fee company also means if your claim isn’t successful you won’t need to pay out for your solicitor.
If you are injured in a traffic accident and it was deemed to be the fault of the other driver, you have a legal right to be compensated for medical expenses, loss of income, any future losses, and/or for pain and suffering. Your lawyer will calculate how much you should receive and will take your claim to court; unless, of course, it is settled beforehand in a private setting.
