A car accident can have tragic consequences for everyone involved. Even a minor accident can leave you without a vehicle for days or even weeks, can cause you to miss days or work and require you to spend weeks under a doctor’s care. Not surprisingly, at some point after an accident you start asking yourself “Am I going to get compensated for all of this and how much am I entitled to?” Those are very normal and important questions to ask according to California car accident attorneys at The Law Offices of Ledger & Associates.
In a car accident, what you receive in the form of monetary compensation for your injuries is called “damages”. In the state of California, damages are divided into two main categories: economic and non-economic damages. The first category – economic damages- covers the things can be easily quantified. In other words, the things that you have a bill for or proof of the amount that you have lost or paid as a result of the accident. Examples of economic damages in a California car accident include lost wages from work, damage done to your vehicle, medical bills and lost earning capacity. While economic damages may seem fairly straight forward and easy to calculate, it is best that you confer with your car accident attorney before valuing your damages. Many times, victims fail to include the likelihood of future medical bills in their damages total and may lose out on a substantial amount of money that they are entitled to. In addition, but failing to include the possibility of future medical problems relating to the accident, a victim may be faced with extensive medical bills months or even years down the road that should have been covered by the responsible party in your car accident.
The second category of damages in a California car accident case is non-economic damages. Non-economic damages include things that are not easily quantifiable such as pain, mental suffering, emotional distress and loss of consortium. These are very real consequences of a car accident in many cases and as the victim you are entitled to be compensated appropriately. Many factors can go into placing on value on non-economic damages including, type and extent of physical injuries, age and health of the victim, earning capacity of the victim and lifestyle of the victim. Placing a value on non-economic damages can be very complicated and it is best to work with your car accident attorney when attempting to value these damages.
If you have been the victim in a California car accident case, you are entitled to recover damages that you have suffered as a result of the accident. Talking to an experienced California car accident attorney will help you determine what your legal options are and what the value of your accident claim is. A car accident attorney can help make sure that you are compensated sufficiently for the injuries you have endured and for the suffering you may experience in the future.
For a free detailed evaluation of your California car accident case, contact the firm of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or visit their website at www.ledgerlaw.com.
