Many people are unclear on how personal injury lawsuits work. In the media, you hear vague reports about how much someone won or lost. Beyond that, there isn’t always much context.
Personal injury lawsuits are designed to pay you back for your injuries. They compensate you for the expenses associated with those injuries.
With any physical injury, medical bills are steep. Someone who has been hurt through no fault of their own suffers twice. First, they must deal with the physical and mental pain. Then they are charged for treating that pain.
Here are some examples of medical costs you could recover in a lawsuit.
Compensation for Your Physical Treatment
Any money you spend on recovery can be included in your lawsuit. No matter how small the expense is, a lawsuit could pay you back.
This includes the cost of:
- Therapy
- Surgeries
- Doctor Visits
- Prescriptions
- Hospital Stays
- X-rays, MRIs, CAT scans, etc.
Sometimes, an injury requires further treatment. In a truly unfortunate case, someone may need medical equipment and supplies for life. A lawsuit could cover these future expenses as well.
Compensation for Your Mental Treatment
Injuries affect more than just your body. Quite often, they take a toll on your mental state as well. This is especially true if the injury is life-altering. People who are disfigured, paralyzed, or rendered less mobile often deal with depression, PTSD, and other serious traumas.
Mental health treatment, when directly connected to your injury, is just as valid as physical treatment. A lawsuit could compensate you for counseling, prescriptions, time in a mental health facility, and so on.
Other Potential Medical Compensation
Medical expenses sometimes go beyond your direct treatment. For instance, you may need to travel to a facility that specializes in your ailments. This means you will spend money on travel, hotel stays, food, and more.
You may need a friend or family member to help you in times like these. Now you must worry about their travel expenses, too.
Even entertainment can become a part of your medical expenses. During a long hospital stay, you are often laying around with nothing to do. It’s important to have games, movies, or other diversions to keep you occupied.
A lawsuit could recover these expenses as well, depending on the circumstances. Talk to your attorney about every dollar you spent while recovering, no matter how insignificant. They may be able to fold these costs into your claim.
Compensation Beyond the Medical
A lawsuit can help you recover the income you lost while nursing your wounds. This may include lost “potential” income, which represents career opportunities you missed because of your injuries.
You may also be entitled to non-economic damages. This is a sum that pays you back for the pain and suffering you endured. The longer you suffered, and the more pain you experienced, the more money you could receive. This money may not be able to make you whole again, and it cannot replace the time you lost. It can, however, make life more comfortable for you as you rebuild.
Our firm is here to help when you’ve been hurt by another’s negligence. For a free consultation, call us today at (916) 571-1550 or contact us online.
