What Are Non-Economic Damages?
Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium. If you sustained an injury in a car accident, a dog bite, or on the property of another party. These damages represent the decrease in your quality of life that arose out of your injuries.
Under California law, you can file a personal injury claim if another party’s negligence causes you bodily injury. If your Santa Ana personal injury lawyers are able to settle your claim or win a court award on your behalf, you can receive economic damages for your injuries. Economic damages are the financial losses you incurred as a result of your injuries, such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. These losses are objective and have a predetermined value. However, along with economic damages, you can also claim non-economic damages to enhance the value of your claim.
Non-Economic Damages in California
Unlike economic damages, non-economic damages do not have an inherent value. They are subjective and also known as general damages. Their subjective nature makes these types of damages much harder to prove. To ensure you get the compensation you deserve for them, it is crucial that you work with experienced Santa Ana personal injury attorneys. It is also important to note that there are some circumstances that prevent you from collecting non-economic damages.
Common Types of Non-Economic Damages
Every injury claim is different, and not all non-economic damages will apply to every case. Some of them depend on the extent of physical injuries and how they impact your life in the long run. When you hire Santa Ana personal injury lawyers, they can help you determine which of these non-economic damages apply in your case and work to get you fair compensation for them, non-economic damages examples:
- Pain and Suffering: The physical pain and emotional suffering caused by the accident or situation that led to your injuries are referred to as pain and suffering.
- Emotional Distress: Sometimes called mental anguish, this type of non-economic damage can include fear, shock, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sometimes emotional distress can become evident in physical symptoms such as weight loss.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: If you experience problems that decrease your enjoyment of daily activities, you might be able to claim loss of enjoyment of life.
- Loss of Consortium: How have your injuries changed your personal relationships, such as your marriage? Any relationship loss such as affection, intimacy, or comfort falls under loss of consortium.
- Disability and Disfigurement: If you became disfigured in any way, such as scarring or suffered physical injuries that will alter your daily life for many years or even permanently, you can claim this non-economic damage.
Santa Ana Personal Injury Lawyers
You can find out more about how your non-economic damages are calculated and which ones apply in your case by reaching out to our Santa Ana personal injury attorneys today. Don’t accept a settlement offer from an insurance company without first consulting with a legal team. Receive your free case consultation by calling Hess & Nghiem today at (657) 333-5726 or connect with us online.
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