What Are Economic Damages in a Personal Injury Case?
If you or somebody you care about has been injured due to the careless or negligent actions of another individual, business, or entity, you will likely be entitled to various types of compensation. However, it can become confusing when discussion about damages begins. A few phrases that are often thrown around in these situations include “economic damages” and “non-economic damages.” Here, we want to specifically discuss economic damages as they relate to personal injury claims made in Georgia. These costs can be tremendous, and it is crucial that any injury victim properly understand what they are entitled to.
Economic Damages for a Georgia Personal Injury Claim
Economic damages are often referred to as “special damages,” and these will be the calculable expenses that an injury victim experiences after an injury incident occurs. What we mean by calculable is that they are typically able to be measured by gathering up various types of bills, receipts, pay stubs, and other verifiable types of data.
The most common types of economic damage that a personal injury victim in Georgia will be entitled to include the following:
- Coverage of emergency medical bills and emergency room visits
- Hospital costs in cases of admittance
- Follow-up doctor visits
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- The cost of medical devices
- Prescription medication costs
- Lost income if a victim cannot work
- Various household out-of-pocket expenses arising due to the injury
A skilled Georgia personal injury lawyer will work diligently to obtain all proof needed to show the types of economic losses a person has sustained due to their injury. The total amount of economic damages awarded will vary depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding each particular situation. In general, factors affecting the total economic damages awarded can include the severity of the injury, the length of the recovery time for the victim, and whether or not there was any shared fault involved in the case.
What About Non-Economic Damages?
Non-economic damages are also referred to as “general damages,” and these are not as easy to calculate as the economic damages mentioned above. Non-economic damages refer to the types of losses that are more difficult to calculate because they do not come with bills or receipts that can be added up. These damages are often referred to as pain and suffering types of losses that a victim will incur following an injury. This can include:
- Emotional distress damages
- Loss of quality of life damages
- Scarring and disfigurement damages
- Loss of consortium for a spouse
Working With an Attorney
It is important for any person who sustains an injury caused by the actions of another individual to work with a skilled personal injury lawyer in Atlanta. An attorney can use their resources and legal expertise to help properly calculate both of the economic losses a victim sustains as well as their non-economic losses. An attorney will work with trusted medical and economic experts to fully evaluate their client and help properly calculate total expected losses.