Collecting Compensation for a Texas Injury Claim
When it comes to compensation in a personal injury case—no matter what sort of incident led to the injury—there is no definitive formula for determining how much money the injured party might collect. There are a variety of factors to consider—and specifically three types of damages you can collect compensation as described by our experienced accident lawyer.
There are three types of damages: economic, non-economic, and exemplary.
3 Types of Damages That Can Determine How Much Claim Is Worth
1) Economic Damages
Economic damages are intended to cover real costs you have incurred as a result of the incident in question. These may include:
- Medical bills. You can seek compensation to cover all medical bills—past, present, and future—directly related to the incident.
- Lost wages and lost benefits. You can pursue compensation for wages lost in the immediate aftermath of your injury—and also for future wages you cannot earn as a result of ongoing disability. If you can’t return to work, you can also pursue compensation for lost economic benefits like (but not limited to) retirement benefits or pensions, and our Houston accident attorneys can help.
- Related economic losses. A spouse’s wages that are lost due to a need to care for you, transportation costs related to getting medical care, and the costs of in-home treatment can all be part of a personal injury claim.
2) Non-Economic Damages
Texas law allows you to seek compensation for a range of intangible losses that do not have a specific monetary value. In general, damages in this category are intended to compensate you for the consequences of the injury that impact your ongoing quality of life. These consequences can include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional or mental anguish
- Loss of consortium (inability to maintain an intimate relationship)
- Loss of companionship and society
- Disfigurement and/or impairment
- Loss of enjoyment of life
3) Exemplary (or Punitive) Damages
Exemplary, or punitive damages, are awarded by a judge to punish—or make an example of—the defendant for malicious, fraudulent, or grossly negligent behavior. These damages are rarely awarded but are justified in some extreme cases.