If someone hurts you in an accident, you should be entitled to recover compensation for your losses. In fact, you should be “made whole’ and fully compensated for all of the harm you endured — including both economic and non-economic damages.
It’s important to understand what these different kinds of damages are as you navigate your case. Berry Law can help. Our firm has a long track record of representing accident victims in maximizing the money they receive after an incident that leaves them hurt or results in the death of a loved one.
You can reach out today to schedule a free consultation with an Omaha personal injury attorney to learn about the different kinds of damages you may be able to receive. You can also read on to learn about the differences between economic vs. non-economic damages in your claim.
What Are Economic Damages?
Economic damages are actual financial damages that are caused by an accident. It is generally fairly easy to determine how much these damages should be and to prove the extent of your loss. Economic damages can include:
- Medical bills, including past bills incurred to treat accident-related injuries, as well as ongoing future medical care that may be needed.
- Lost wages, including any time that you had to take off from work due to your injuries, even if you used sick leave or vacation days
- Lost future earning power in the event that your injuries have caused ongoing limitations in your ability to work and earn a living
- Property damage. If you have experienced damage to any of your property, this is a measurable financial loss you should be compensated for.
Past bills and past lost earnings can be calculated exactly based on medical spending and on time off from work. Experts can help you determine the amount of future medical bills you are likely to incur, as well as the impact of your impairments on your earning power.
What Are Non-Economic Damages?
Non-economic damages are non-financial losses you have experienced that you should still be compensated for. Examples include:
- Pain and suffering: Injuries can cause physical discomfort that affects your quality of life.
- Emotional distress: Either the accident or the injuries can also cause you to experience emotional and mental effects, such as PTSD or anxiety, or depression.
- Diminished quality of life: Injuries and their after-effects can cause you to experience ongoing impairments in your ability to live your life fully
Calculating these damages can be much more difficult. Sometimes, insurers use a pain multiplier, or offer you compensation equal to a multiple of your economic loss such as 1.5 to 5 times your economic damages, depending on injury severity. You could also be paid a per-day rate for the days you endure these types of harm.
Proving Economic vs. Non-Economic Damages
While there are important differences between economic vs. non-economic damages, the reality is that you deserve to be fully compensated for both. Berry Law understands the ins and outs of proving your losses to help you maximize recovery for all the harm you endured.
We can help you to prove both economic and non-economic damages by:
- Obtaining medical records
- Connecting you with experts who can testify as to ongoing losses
- Working with you to create a pain diary or pain journal
These are just some of the many ways that can help you to show the extent of your harm so you are fairly compensated by those responsible for damaging you.
Berry Law’s Team Provides You With Multiple Attorney Perspectives
Getting Help Recovering Damages From an Omaha Personal Injury Lawyer
Berry Law has recovered millions in economic and non-economic damages for clients in a wide variety of injury claims, including car accidents, truck accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, construction accidents, slip and fall accidents, and more.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with an Omaha personal injury lawyer to find out how we can help you.
