What Expenses Can My Personal Injury Claim Cover?
If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Common personal injury cases include car accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, defective products, dangerous premises and dog bites.
Although everyone’s case is different, personal injury claims generally look at three types of losses:
- Economic losses
- Future economic losses
- Compensation for the injury itself
These are called compensatory damages, and cover a wide variety of expenses. Some are relatively simple to figure out; some are not so easy.
Economic losses include:
- Medical care and related expenses
- Costs for OTC and prescription drugs
- Lost income from being unable to work
- Child care or home maintenance costs
- Mileage to and from hospital or doctor
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Future medical care, medications and therapy
- Long-term care
Non-economic damages include:
- Permanent disability
- Loss of social or educational experience
- Emotional damages
Some states have contributory negligence laws that prohibit accident victims from compensation if they were in any way at fault for their accident. Other states have laws that allow victims to receive partial compensation if they were only partially at fault for their accident. Indiana is a modified comparative fault state. This means that as long as you are 50% or less at fault than the other party (or parties), you can collect compensation. If you are more than 50% at fault for your accident, the law prohibits you from collecting compensation. A personal injury lawyer in Indiana can explain this to you in detail.
Personal injury cases can be complex, and insurance companies may push you to settle for a low-ball amount. If you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, it is in your best interest to speak to an Indiana personal injury attorney to find out what kinds of compensation are due to you.
