You can receive damages when you are injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. These damages are designed to compensate you for your losses.
In personal injury cases, you can recover two types of damages – economic and non-economic. Economic damages are the ones you are probably familiar with, such as medical bills, lost wages, and any property damage the accident caused.
One you may not be as familiar with is non-economic damages.
Non-economic damages defined
In a New York personal injury case, non-economic damages are the intangible ones that don’t have a value you can prove with receipts and other documentation. Types of non-economic damages include:
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
How do you prove non-economic damages?
Regarding non-economic damages, it’s important to remember they are harder to substantiate. Because of this, it’s up to you to provide some type of proof of your losses. One way to do this is by keeping a pain journal or a journal where you write how you feel from day to day after the accident.
What determines your non-economic damage compensation?
Several factors or considered when determining non-economic damage compensation. Since this is subjective, your damages may not be the same as another accident victim. Your situation and the long-term impact of the injury are considered when determining the value.
Recovering the compensation you deserve
No matter what type of accident you are involved in, if it is not your fault and someone else is deemed liable, you may be due non-economic damages. Consider the information above and your losses to determine if this applies to your situation. If it does, then it is important to take steps to recover these damages.