The impact can be substantial when you are seriously injured in an accident. Permanent injuries sustained in an accident can result in economic damages, including high medical bills and lost wages, and long-term non-economic damages, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Serious personal injuries can bring physical or financial ruin, such as significant brain and spinal cord injuries.
This is because the extent of the injuries is so immense; it impacts your ability to function and lead a normal. In some cases, your life can be permanently changed. Often, it is easy to measure the visible damages.
But the invisible or non-economic damages are sometimes the most debilitating, and in some cases, will cause the most significant negative impact on your life.
Personal injuries in Los Angeles County come in many different forms, from minor scrapes and bruises to more severe injuries that can impact your personal and professional life.
When most people hear the term “personal injury,” they often believe it's a one-time event that will be over as soon as you receive medical treatment. However, many personal injuries can affect many months after the incident.
A severe personal injury can have both short-term and long-lasting effects on your physical and mental health. While the actual economic damages might seem easiest to recover, it is essential to understand that these non-economic damages are also compensable under the law.
These severe personal injury cases need special attention since they could require the most significant amount of compensation. When selecting an attorney to represent your case, you will want to choose one with experience handling claims similar to your own.
If you have sustained severe personal injuries in an accident that resulted from someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to both economic and non-economic damages under California law. We can claim damages or file a suit on your behalf to help you obtain the monetary recovery that fully compensates you for everything you went through.
Expected Consequences of a Serious Personal Injury
More often than not, a severe personal injury will affect every area of your life. For example, several injuries can cause physical deformities or changes in your appearance, ranging from hardly noticeable damage to those that dramatically change how you look.
Cuts and burns often leave scars on your body after they have healed. Some personal injuries can also affect your capacity for whole-body movement. Broken bones and other serious are common causes that will hinder your ability to perform daily tasks.
When you cannot work after a severe injury, you miss an opportunity to earn money to support your family. The loss of income can be significant, especially during a lengthy recovery period.
In some cases, serious personal injuries could even prevent you from advancing or developing a career. Additionally, injuries are typically costly medical matters for victims. It's not just the initial medical treatment and rehabilitation methods that can be costly.
The nature, severity, recovery, and treatment costs for an injury can extend over a long period, compounding its overall cost. Serious personal injuries can also cause emotional and psychological distress to you and your family.
Some injuries can leave you with mental scars, no matter how healed and recovered they may seem on the surface. These emotional scars can take a significant toll on your relationships with family, friends, and even your employer. Call a Los Angeles personal injury attorney at our law firm to review the specific details of your case and discuss legal options.
Recuperating a Monetary Award for Non-Economic Damages
Pain and suffering are one item of damage that a plaintiff may recover in a personal injury case. The term ‘pain and suffering is used to describe the physical pain, inconvenience, and emotional distress that a person must endure after sustaining an injury or injury in a severe accident.
This can extend to mental and emotional suffering as well. It is important to note that pain and suffering levels vary from one personal injury plaintiff to another due, in part, to the nature and extent of the injuries sustained in the accident.
Outlining Pain and Suffering Damages
Los Angeles Personal injury cases are about responsibility and accountability. Although the at-fault party may not have intended to cause you harm, the accident resulted in serious personal injuries and damages. Injury resulting from an accident can put a dramatic halt to many aspects of your life.
This can impact your relationships, your career, and your physical fitness. In many cases, you will need both time and the financial means to recover.
Not only do you deserve to be compensated for your medical and physical therapy bills, but you also deserve to be compensated for pain and suffering, as well as for the aggravation and lost time caused by accident. Serious accidents often have a severe impact on the following:
- Your ability to work
- Your ability to spend time with family and friends
- Your ability to play sports, work out, and take part in other recreational activities
- Your ability to perform housework or other daily living tasks
- Your ability to travel
The Value of a Pain and Suffering Claim
Although these damages are recoverable, it is essential to work with your injury lawyer in advance to outline the exact value you are requesting for pain and suffering recovery.
The value of a personal injury claim for pain and suffering varies from plaintiff to plaintiff and from case to case.
For this reason, preparation and documentation is key to receiving a fair and equitable settlement. Some factors that juries often consider when placing a value on a damage claim for pain and suffering include the following:
- The opinions provided by expert medical witnesses
- The nature and extent of the injuries that you suffered in the accident, as well as the amount of time it took you to reach a level of maximum medical improvement
- Medical reports referencing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from the accident
- Your age, sex, position in life, and estimated recovery time
- The impact of the accident on your quality of life and activity level as a result of the injuries you sustained
- Potential work limitations
- Potential limitations on your daily activities
Contact an Injury Lawyer for Help
Serious injuries can have severe impacts on every aspect of your life. Whether your injury was caused in a car accident or premises liability case, recovering both economic and non-economic damages after an accident can help minimize the financial impact.
If you have sustained injuries due to someone else's negligence, you need skilled legal representation on your side every step of the way. To schedule a free consultation and case evaluation with our law firm, call our office at 310-734-7974.
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