When you hear the term “economic damages” in a personal injury lawsuit, that describes a very specific thing. This term means financial losses you experienced because a person or entity harmed you. It is in these situations that you’ll usually consider bringing a personal injury lawsuit against that individual or entity.
When you go after economic damages in court, you should know which ones you can legally collect. You should also know about your state’s rules regarding this kind of thing. For instance, Oregon has no cap for economic damages, but some other states do.
If you hire a lawyer to help while you pursue a personal injury lawyer, they might mention to you some kinds of economic damages you can recover in one of these situations. We will also mention a few monetary damages you can recover in court during one of these proceedings right now. Remember, though, you will get nothing if the jury does not decide in your favor.
Property Damage
Property damage is certainly one economic damage you can demand in a lawsuit. If you feel that some person or entity harmed you and they damaged your property as part of that, you can go after them for that damaged property’s worth.
For instance, maybe a drunk person veered off the road and crashed into your porch. You can demand financial compensation and have them fix it.
Lost Income
Lost income often enters into economic damage demands in personal injury lawsuits. Maybe a drunk driver hits your vehicle, and you sustain some serious injuries in the wreck. You can’t do the same job that you usually do while you are recovering.
If that’s true, you can demand that the at-fault party compensate you. You can show the jury how much you usually make each week or month. Then, you can show how long you must miss work while recovering. They can make restitution by giving you that amount.
You might have a situation where a company poisons you when you ingest one of their products. Maybe something contaminated that product. You must take some time off work and recover.
You can demand that the at-fault company give you money that equals the time you missed. You can probably think of similar situations where lost income factors into personal injury lawsuits.
Physical Pain
Physical pain coming from something an individual or company did that harmed you might also come into play in a personal injury suit. However, juries might have a harder time quantifying such a request.
How much should a jury award you if a car hit you because someone drove drunk? If you needed surgery after the accident, then presumably, you experienced some pain. How much money should you get, though? Trying to compensate pain with a dollar amount isn’t so easy.
Usually, when these situations occur, a jury will look at prior instances where something similar happened. A judge might point them toward a similar case, and they can look at the dollar amount someone received who experienced something similar.
Of course, if you look at these situations objectively, you’ll likely realize that the amount of money the jury might reward you for physical pain seems somewhat arbitrary. Hopefully, the jury will give the judge a number that satisfies you and makes you feel they meted out justice.
Medical Costs
Medical costs often come with personal injury lawsuits. If a car hits you, or maybe if you skidded and fell on a slick floor in a store, you might have a doctor’s appointment after that. You may have several doctor’s consultations in the days and weeks afterward.
You may need surgery if the accident harmed you. Perhaps you’ll require a specialist who can determine what treatment you can pursue. Maybe you’ll need several X-rays. Perhaps an MRI becomes necessary if you’re still experiencing pain and a doctor thinks a soft tissue injury occurred.
You may need physical therapy after an accident that harmed you. Perhaps you’ll feel better after a few sessions, but you may need many appointments if you’re getting over several injuries or a major surgery.
In any of these instances, you can demand financial compensation. You must also think about mental or psychological turmoil.
If you feel out of sorts after an injury or accident, maybe you will seek out a therapist and attend several sessions. The person or entity that harmed you should cover their cost. You might have healthcare that covers some of the fees, but maybe you have copays that came out-of-pocket.
Loss of Companionship
Loss of companionship is another potential personal injury lawsuit economic loss. Maybe you’re bringing a lawsuit because a person or entity caused a spouse’s death. Perhaps someone caused a child’s death, or they killed your beloved pet dog in some way.
Like physical pain, quantifying these losses is not so easy. You can get on the witness stand in court and explain what the pet or person’s absence means. You might talk about how you loved taking the dog out every morning. You may mention the moments you and your deceased spouse shared and how you feel bereft and forlorn without them.
Presumably, the jury can understand your feelings, at least somewhat. They’re human too, and they can imagine and understand your plight. They should award you some money if they feel the person or entity you’re accusing caused the person or animal’s death, but how much seems appropriate?
In these situations, you must simply make your case and hope the jury gets it right. You can’t get your loved one back, but you can at least make the company or person responsible pay. That should make you feel somewhat better, even if money can never replace who or what you lost.
In some instances, the person or entity you’re suing might settle out of court. If they see the jury turning against them, they may not wait till a verdict comes in.
