Identifying Your Damages After a Car Accident

If you’ve recently been the victim of an auto accident, you should consult with an experienced auto accident lawyer serving Gaithersburg. You may be entitled to file a personal injury claim and seek an auto accident settlement for financial, physical, and emotional damages sustained. Here is a guide to identifying your total damages after a car accident.

Emotional Damages

Your auto accident lawyer should seek damages for mental or physical distress when he files your personal injury claim. These damages may compensate for the emotional anguish at the time of the accident, as well as resulting mental pain and suffering after the accident. Examples of such pain and suffering may include depression, anxiety, phobias, insomnia, and stress. Emotional damages are calculated based upon the severity of the symptoms, the type of physical injuries suffered, the circumstances surrounding the car accident, and the likelihood of future mental pain and suffering.

Physical Damages

Physical damages refer to any injuries you suffered as a result of the car accident. The damages that you may be awarded in your auto accident settlement will depend upon the severity of the injuries, the location of the injuries, your prognosis for recovery, and the affect that the injuries have on your professional and social relationships. For instance, if you have suffered from extreme, permanent facial scarring, you might be awarded more in physical damages than if you simply suffered from a broken bone. Physical damages include compensation for all medical expenses, including in-home care services.

Financial Damages

Financial damages are damages that you suffered due to lost wages, or vehicle repairs that weren’t covered by your auto insurance. If your auto accident injuries were severe enough that you missed work, even for a brief period of time, you might be entitled to recoup your lost wages. If your injuries prevent you from working at all in the future, or prevent you from working in the field in which you’re specifically qualified, you may get a higher auto accident settlement.

Have You Been Injured in a Maryland Car Accident?

If you've been injured in a car accident, you need to speak with an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Gaithersburg office directly at 301.840.0404 to schedule your free consultation.