After a car accident, your first concern should be for your physical and mental recovery from the accident.
When someone else is at fault for the collision that caused your injuries, there are various damages recoverable from the at-fault driver.
Medical expenses
Auto accidents can cause devastating injuries that require extensive medical treatment. Medical bills include the ambulance, paramedics, emergency room visit, doctors, surgeons and recovery time spent in the hospital. You may also need physical therapy, follow-up visits and therapy for your mental health to deal with the trauma. All of these medical expenses are recoverable damages after an auto accident where you were not at fault.
Lost wages
Any pay that you lose when you miss work as you recover from your injuries is recoverable. If the injuries you suffered in an auto accident permanently prevent you from returning to your job, the loss of future wages is also recoverable.
Non-economic damages
In addition to medical bills, lost wages and the cost to repair or replace your vehicle after an accident, you can also recover for your pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and emotional distress. Non-economic damages such as these are not as easy to prove because they do not come with bills or receipts.
The heirs of an individual that dies due to a car accident can file a claim for wrongful death against the at-fault driver. Wrongful death claims can recover damages, including funeral expenses, grief, loss of parental care, loss of attention, loss of financial contribution and loss of companionship.