In addition to damages like medical bills and lost wages, you could also recover for your pain and suffering. These damages come in many forms.
Understanding the non-economic damages you might be entitled to helps maximize your compensation and ensure you’re well taken care of after your accident.
Physical Pain
Physical pain refers to the extreme discomfort you might feel following a debilitating injury or illness caused by an accident or the negligent conduct of another. Such injuries could include:
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Lots of limbs
- Third-degree burns
Physical pain can be chronic and require physical therapy, occupational therapy, surgical intervention, and prescription medications to improve your condition and attain maximum medical improvement (MMI).
You can prove the extent of your physical pain by introducing personal journal entries, statements from your friends and family, and your medical records to validate the severity of your damages.
Mental Anguish
Mental anguish, also commonly referred to as depression and anxiety, grief, and emotional distress, can have a debilitating impact on your life. It may be so severe it makes it difficult for you to complete daily living tasks, provide for yourself and your family, and enjoy your life.
Proving mental anguish and emotional trauma can be particularly challenging. With help from your attorney, you can introduce valuable evidence that proves the severity of your mental anguish so you can be awarded fairly.
Loss of Quality of Life
When you can no longer enjoy your life as you did before the accident or incident that caused your injuries, you may have the right to compensation for a loss of quality of life.
Here, if your injuries are so severe that they impact your ability to continue living your life, you should be repaid for this loss. A good example could be a marathon runner who suffers a leg amputation and will no longer be able to run.
This is also commonly referred to as the loss of enjoyment of life. When you can no longer participate in hobbies or activities you once found joy in, you should be repaid accordingly.
If your injuries are so severe that you require around-the-clock medical care or are otherwise unable to take care of yourself, this could also be grounds for compensation for loss of quality of life.
Fright and Shock
You may be able to seek compensation for fright and shock when the terror or extreme fear you experienced in the accident continues to impact you after the fact. You may find yourself experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), making it difficult for you to continue completing day-to-day activities.
You also could file a claim for shock after the accident, which could negatively impact your ability to continue working, heal from your injuries, and get back to your life.
Loss of Companionship
When your injuries are so debilitating that they impact your ability to maintain relationships with family and friends, you can be repaid for this loss.
The liable party can be ordered to compensate you for your inability to show affection, be cared for, participate in the benefits of being married, enjoy parenting, and be present with your friends and family. This deprivation of benefits is often devastating and can have a lasting impact on your life.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer for Help Today
If you are ready to find out how much your pain and suffering damages are worth, but do not know where to turn for help, our experienced Michigan personal injury lawyers at Davis Injury Lawyers, PLLC, are here to help.
We can help you identify the various types of pain and suffering damages you are entitled to and quantify them accordingly. Find out how much your claim is worth as soon as today when you contact our office for a free consultation. You can reach us by phone at (313) 462-7979 or through our quick contact form to get started on your case.