Types of Accident Compensation This type of compensation usually covers medical expenses, such as prescription drugs, devices, physical therapy and surgery. This type of compensation can also be used to pay for future earnings. This type of compensation is commonly referred to as "general damages." It can be challenging to determine the amount of these damages because insurers use different methods for calculation. Economic Damages Economic damages are the tangible, quantifiable costs that result from an accident. These include out-of pocket expenses and losses resulting from the absence of work, property damage costs and future anticipated financial losses due to the injury or disability. These costs are calculated by juries and courts based on documents such as hospital bills, pharmacy receipts, and estimates for repairs to vehicles. These costs are fairly simple to prove and are among the most immediate expenses that are incurred in an accident. They usually include medical expenses including the initial hospital stay, and any follow-up treatment and care. These expenses can also comprise the cost of repairing a damaged car or other property items, such as clothes and household goods. They could also include the cost of hiring someone else to assist with household chores or transport your children to school or other events. Lost wages are another common and important category of economic damages. This includes not just your lost wages due to the fact that you had to stay home from work because of injuries, but they could be a factor in the loss of productivity during recovery and any vacation or sick leave. In some cases you can recover compensation in the event of a loss of future earning capacity. This is the case in the event that you cannot return to your previous career or earn the same amount. These costs are easily identifiable and measurable. However other damages you can claim are less so. These non-economic damages can be more difficult to quantify and include things like discomfort and pain disfigurement, loss of enjoyment. What can you do to prove these damages? While some of the expenses in these categories are easy to prove by receipts and paperwork, other expenses may require expert testimony. In cases where an accident results in a severe spinal injury that causes the victim to be partially paralyzed, it might be necessary to consult an occupational specialist to determine the impact of the injury on the victim. This can assist the jury or court to determine the full extent of personal and financial consequences will be. The most complex economic losses are those that relate to future medical costs and lost earnings. It is possible to document these expenses using a medical professional's estimate of when you will reach maximum medical improvement, or when your recovery will likely be over. However, you'll have to prove your future financial loss by providing pay bills, expense receipts and other evidence of your current and previous income. Insurance companies are trying to avoid paying as much damages as they are required to. A competent personal injury lawyer can make sure that you get all compensation damages to which you are entitled. Dennis and King will be able to schedule a free consultation. We can help you pursue the full spectrum of non-economic and financial damages after a New York car accident or other personal injury incident.