If you’ve been injured in an accident in the St. Louis, MO area, you could be entitled to compensation through a personal injury claim. If somebody else’s carelessness or negligence caused your injuries, they can be required to cover your damages due to the accident.
Damages in a Missouri personal injury case usually fall into two general categories:
- Economic damages. These can include medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages.
- Non-economic damages. These can include “intangible” costs like pain and suffering, emotional distress, or loss of companionship.
A St. Louis personal injury attorney can evaluate your claim and potential to recover damages based on the facts of your case.
What Can Be Included as Economic Damages in Missouri?
The purpose of awarding economic damages is to help victims cover the costs directly related to an accident. Economic damages are tangible costs – they can be viewed on a spreadsheet and summed up in exact dollar amounts. Invoices and bills associated with a victim’s damages can be submitted to insurance companies, judges, and juries to seek reimbursement for the costs.
Initial Medical Expenses
Ambulance care, emergency treatment, inpatient assistance, and follow-up appointments after discharge are included in the initial medical expenses in a personal injury claim. The costs of medical equipment, prescription medication, and supplies also fall within this category. After a catastrophic injury, initial medical expenses can create a huge financial burden, even if you are covered by insurance. Invoices and insurance statements can help a personal injury lawyer calculate these damages and pursue full compensation.
Future Medical Expenses
Future medical expenses can be challenging to calculate because they involve predictions about an accident victim’s needs in the future. Some future medical expenses that an attorney will make sure to address would include therapy, rehabilitation, medication, and assisted living services.
Since an accident victim only has one chance to pursue their personal injury claim, it is important to raise the issue of future medical needs while the claim is progressing. An experienced St. Louis personal injury lawyer will be prepared to address these costs as part of your economic damages.
Property Damage
Accidents can cause damage to vehicles, homes, or other property. Accident victims in Missouri are entitled to recover property damage costs as economic damages through their personal injury claim. Evaluating property damage as part of economic damages will require a careful review of physical evidence, repair estimates, and invoices related to repairs.
Lost Income
In Missouri, a plaintiff can seek compensation for lost wages and future lost income in a personal injury case. These are counted with the plaintiff’s economic damages in the case. A plaintiff must usually be employed when the accident occurs to make a claim for lost wages.
Often, lost wages due to an accident can be somewhat simple to calculate. For example, if you earn $900 weekly and miss five weeks of work, you could be entitled to $4,500 for past lost wages.
However, calculating lost wages can get complicated if you are self-employed or a business owner. Seasonal employees, such as construction workers, might also have to use a year-round average to calculate lost wages. Experienced personal injury lawyers know how to evaluate your occupation and income to reach a fair settlement addressing your lost income.
For future lost income, the calculation will involve different factors, including:
- Your age. Those closer to retirement age will be entitled to a lower amount than those with more potential work years ahead of them.
- The type of industry. If you are in an industry where wages are expected to remain static, you may be entitled to less than if you are in a dynamic industry with the potential for strong growth and profit.
- Your potential for promotion. Suppose you were on a promising career track and in line for promotions or a partnership in a business before the accident happened. In that case, this is another key factor in the calculation of future lost income.
Miscellaneous Expenses
Other expenses that are not described above but can be calculated may be included as economic damages. For instance, this can include funeral expenses in a wrongful death claim or legal fees in some cases.
Is There a Cap on Economic Damages in a Missouri Personal Injury Case?
Some states limit what a personal injury plaintiff can collect in their case. In Missouri, however, there is no general cap on economic damages in personal injury claims. Some exceptions exist in medical malpractice claims and claims for punitive damages. In most cases, a Missouri personal injury claimant can pursue all expenses connected to their accident if they can prove them with documentation.
Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer to Collect Economic Damages?
Seeking economic damages in a personal injury case can be a complicated task. An experienced St. Louis personal injury lawyer will be able to evaluate your claim and carefully assemble documentation supporting an award for economic damages. An attorney can fight aggressively for you during the insurance claim process and through a lawsuit if needed.
Call an Experienced St. Louis Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you have been injured in an accident, time is of the essence. You will want to move quickly and obtain all evidence needed to prove your claim. If you have questions about economic damages and what you might be entitled to, contact an experienced attorney from Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers and schedule a free consultation today by calling us at (636) 519-0085.
