After an accident, one of the central questions throughout the insurance claims process is that of cost, and therefore compensation. There are many different factors that go into determining the overall cost of an accident, and while some are obvious, a lot of them are nuanced, unclear, and even completely abstract and require special types of calculations to apply a dollar value to. Ostensibly, the claims adjuster assigned to your case should be gathering all of these details to determine what you are owed; however, they are actually looking for every way possible to cut corners and save the insurance company money.
To get the money you actually deserve after an accident, your best bet is to work with an attorney who can help you navigate the complicated and stressful world of insurance claims. After an injury, it only makes sense that you will need to focus on your health as your top priority, and that having someone else handle the complex legal processes for you will be the best way to give yourself the emotional space you need and deserve. We’d suggest hiring a car accident lawyer in Temecula, CA to help get you what you need.
The Costs of a Car Accident
When the claims adjuster looks at your accident, they focus on the major issues like the repair or replacement costs of your vehicle and other damaged personal property, your medical bills, and your lost wages. However, these are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to calculating your full damages, and once you do your own calculations, you will need to negotiate with the insurance company to actually reach a settlement agreement that works for you.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the most obvious costs and impacts of an accident, and essentially they apply to everything that comes with a receipt because economic damages are damages that have measurable dollar values. They include your property damage, medical bills, lost wages, and anything else that you and your attorney can prove is an expense or financial loss directly related to your accident. Your work-related damages will also include any paid time off or vacation days that you needed to use in order to cover missed time, as well as any impacts to your earning capacity, to name just a few.
If you need to hire any services to help you perform everyday tasks after your accident, such as driving services, cleaning, shopping, cooking, or more, then you will also be able to seek reimbursement for these expenses.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are more complicated to calculate after an accident, but it does not mean that they are any less important to seek as compensation. They include things like the pain and suffering of your injuries, as well as the emotional trauma, depression, fear, anxiety, and other psychological impacts of such a terrifying and painful event. As you can imagine, it is much harder to put a dollar value on “pain and suffering” than it is to agree on what your car repairs cost by referencing the invoice from the auto shop.
Insurance companies like to overlook non-economic damages because of how difficult they are to calculate, and it is much easier to deny these damages when a victim is not working with an attorney. These damages are just as important to your case as something like lost wages, because they are very real impacts on your life caused by someone else’s reckless or negligent actions. Fight for what you deserve.
