When you suffer injuries and damages because of someone else’s negligence, you deserve to pursue compensation. Dealing with a financial hardship is never easy, so compensation is one of the most vital aspects of improving your quality of life moving forward.
In Texas, you can recover different types of compensation, depending on how your accident occurred and your injury’s severity. Recognizing your options and the compensation available to you is vital. Hiring a lawyer to combine all of your losses and seek the maximum compensation available to you is the most effective way to move forward.
The three types of compensation you might recover after a crash include:
- Economic compensation or monetary losses
- Non-economic compensation or pain and suffering
- Exemplary or punitive damages
For legal guidance during a difficult situation, call our firm today at (936) 243-4299.
Economic Compensation or Monetary Losses
Your compensation can help cover the monetary losses you experience because of the crash. Monetary losses include any damages in which you can show the amount of money you spent, such as the costs of your vehicle repairs.
Economic compensation includes:
- Medical bills and expenses associated with your long-term care
- Lost wages if you are unable to work because of your injuries
- Property damage repairs, such as fixing your vehicle
Typically, it’s easier to prove these losses because you have bills, statements, pay stubs, and other documents that show how much money you lost. It still helps to have a lawyer present to prove that the other driver is responsible for the damages. Insurance adjusters may try to challenge the value of your losses, and a lawyer can help in this regard.
Non-Economic Compensation or Pain and Suffering
It’s often more difficult to prove non-economic damages if you don’t have a lawyer on your side. Non-economic compensation covers your pain and suffering, including your mental anguish and trauma stemming from your crash. In some cases, non-economic compensation can include disfigurement and disability because of how they affect your quality of life.
Disability and disfigurement include:
- A disfigurement is a visible injury such as scarring, burns, or damage to skin texture that impacts your appearance. Disfigurement can result in low self-esteem and mental problems.
- A disability is a condition that you suffer that impairs your everyday life. A disability can impact your mind or body, limiting your ability to complete specific actions.
There’s no direct proof of how much your non-economic damages are worth, so it is vital to work with a lawyer. The more evidence you have — and with the help of a skilled lawyer — the more likely you are to recover compensation for your mental anguish.
Exemplary or Punitive Damages
You may be able to pursue exemplary or punitive damages in some situations. In order to be eligible for exemplary damages, you must show that there’s clear evidence the at-fault driver acted with malice or gross negligence. It’s often difficult to recover exemplary damages because you must show convincing evidence of the other driver’s actions.
Texas places a cap on how much you can recover in exemplary damages. The cap means that even if a jury compensates a victim for punitive damages, the judge may reduce the amount owed. Many insurance policies do not cover punitive damages. An attorney can properly prosecute the case to help a victim collect from the insurance company. When a jury awards exemplary damages, they do so to punish the at-fault party and discourage others from acting in the same way.
At Scott Law Firm, we care about you and your rights. Our Conroe car accident lawyers put your needs first and work to help you obtain maximum compensation. Trust that we will stand by your side and help you hold negligence accountable when you need it most. Our team is here for you every step of the way because we care about getting you results.
Call our firm today at (936) 243-4299 and discover how we may help you!
