If you’ve been through an accident or situation where you’ve experienced an injury, a lawyer like Luschas, Naparsteck, and Crane, LLP, knows what options are available to you in terms of damages. Read on to learn about what damages might be available to you, including special damages, and how an attorney might be of value in helping your cause.
General Damages Are Easily Measured While Special Damages Are Not
When you have encountered an accident, there are often a variety of types of damages. Your medical bills and vehicle damage represent direct costs that are measurable through bills. You know exactly how much money your repairs cost on the vehicle and exactly how much your medical bills are, as you have received bills with numbers on them. Other types of damage can be more difficult to measure. These are what are known as general damages or economic damages. Special damages can be measured relatively easily and are a part of the compensation needed to make you whole following your accident.
Special damages are a separate category of damages that are measured in a different manner than general damages due to their nature. Types of general damage include physical pain and suffering, physical impairment or injury, loss of companionship, lowered quality of life, or mental anguish.
You May Be Entitled to Damages for Emotional Distress
Special damages are generally those that are suffered as a direct result of the defendant’s actions. You are entitled to recover for the results of the defendant’s actions, and special damages may be more easily measurable than general damages. Special damages include the repair and replacement of your vehicle, the wages that are lost due to your injury, medical expenses, and the replacement of items damaged in the accident. As noted by the P.A. General Assembly, special damages may also include damages for emotional distress. Emotional distress can sometimes be closer to special damage, given the difficulty of measuring it. However, bills for mental health services provide a benchmark to determine costs here.
Reach Out to a Personal Injury Attorney Today!
To learn more about your options in terms of your general and special damages from an accident, reach out to an attorney and contact us now.
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FAQ
What are general damages in an accident?
General damages in an accident are those which might be difficult to measure, such as emotional distress or mental anguish, highlighting the value of an experienced attorney in determining what you are owed.
What are special damages within the context of an accident?
Special damages are also known as specific damages, which generally have a specific amount assigned to them, like a car repair or a medical bill.
Do I need a bill to collect on an amount in an accident?
No, some damages are measured by means other than the numbers on a bill, like emotional distress.
