4 Damages You Can Ask For In A Personal Injury Lawsuit

Choosing to file a personal injury lawsuit is a great way to get restitution for a wrong against you. By filing a personal injury lawsuit you can send a strong message that you will not be treated that way, and you can get financial help for your pain. When you file a personal injury lawsuit you will ask for damages, this is money for injuries caused. Here are some things you can ask for in damages.

1. Medical Expenses

One of the most common things that are included in a personal injury lawsuit are medical expenses that might have accumulated because of the accident. For instance, if you had a broken leg from a car accident, you might be able to sue for help with the expenses. The guilty party would have to pay for the doctor visits, the surgery, even the physical therapy after the surgery.

In order to get this paid for you have to prove all of the expenses. Make sure you keep copies of your bills for the suit.

2. Lost Time At Work and Wages

Another common thing to ask for in a lawsuit is lost wages from missing work. Some people do not have the luxury of getting paid time off when they have an injury that they need to recover from. If you are an hourly employee, if you are self-employed, or if you lost your job because of your injury, you can include those lost wages in your lawsuit.

You can prove lost wages with tax returns and W-2 statements. This will show what you usually make compared to what you made after the accident.

3. Emotional Suffering

After an accident you may experience a great deal of emotional suffering. You might feel depressed because of your injury and need therapy, or you could be grieving the loss of another person involved in the accident. You can include emotional suffering in your lawsuit, even though it is harder to prove. You can use bills from therapy, but generally you simply put a dollar amount on how the injury negatively affected your quality of life.

4. Loss Of Property

If you lost property in the accident you can ask for restitution. If your car was damaged, your house was harmed or even if you lost expensive belongings you can include those in your lawsuit. You will need to document all the property and have the items appraised or show how much you paid for them.

These are 4 of the most common things included in a personal injury lawsuit. For more information, contact a personal injury lawyer, like one from the Erickson Law Office.


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