Massachusetts residents who have been hurt in a car accident know that it can drastically change their lives. They may be left physically disabled, unable to work and emotionally traumatized. They might also incur significant financial losses by losing wages and racking up medical bills. Once a crash victim has the time to focus on his or her legal case he or she might wonder for what damages he or she can recover compensation. Hopefully this article will help shed light on the matter.
There are many types of recoverable damages. Perhaps the most obvious are medical expenses and lost wages. A claim might include money already spent on medical care related to the accident and anticipated medical expenses. The same goes for wages. An individual can recover lost wages and lost earning capacity.
Perhaps less obvious damages include pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement. Pain and suffering damages often require a victim to show the nature of his or her injury, the certainty of future pain and its severity. Loss of consortium damages deals with an individual’s loss of the enjoyments of married life, including companionship, comfort and sexual relations. This type of claim can often be brought by both the victim and his or her uninjured spouse. Loss of enjoyment of life damages are given when a victim has a diminished ability to enjoy life’s everyday pleasures. This type of damage is often rolled into pain and suffering, and is often defined in a general way. Disfigurement damages are often awarded when a victim is deformed by scars and other physical appearance impairments.
As can be seen by this post, there are many types of recoverable damages. However, every case is unique and two victims might be entitled to differing damages. Therefore, it might be best for a victim to speak with a Massachusetts attorney when considering filing a lawsuit to better determine what compensation recovery strategy is best suited for him or her.
Source: FindLaw, “Economic Recovery for Accidents and Injuries,” accessed on Aug. 31, 2014
