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What Are Non-Economic Damages in an Injury Case?

• November 30, 2020
• Cloud, Ryan & Rouse, LLC
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Personal injury claimants have the right to both economic and non-economic damages. Even though non-economic damages are often more difficult to prove, the right attorney can help you determine what your damages are worth and represent you as you seek compensation.

After sustaining a personal injury, the economic damages may be the most obvious. Sometimes they are even the most initially concerning damages as you go weeks without a paycheck, and the medical bills start to arrive. However, it is often the non-economic damages that impact your life the most. 

Many of these types of damages are hard for others who aren’t close to you to see or observe, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t real. It also doesn’t mean that they have no value. By working with a compassionate Huntsville personal injury lawyer, you can receive the help you need to seek full compensation for your economic as well as your non-economic damage.

What Are Non-Economic Damages?

The purpose of personal injury claims and lawsuits is to obtain monetary compensation or recovery for damages. Damages are the costs, losses, and inconveniences forced upon you by your injury. Also known as compensatory damages, they can be both economic and non-economic. Economic damages are sometimes called special damages and refer to:

1. Medical bills
2. Prescriptions
3. Durable medical equipment
4. Lost wages

These types of damages come with a pre-assigned value. There is no debating about how much they cost. On the other hand, non-economic damages don’t come with such a value. They are subjective. Non-economic damages include:

1. Pain and suffering: The physical and emotional ways you suffer after the accident.
2. Loss of consortium or companionship: Loss of the ability to participate in marital or family relationships and to give or receive companionship or affection 
3. Loss of enjoyment of life: Loss of the ability to participate in or find joy in the things you once did
4. Scarring or disfigurement: Experiencing the humiliation and body image issues that may come with any significant scarring or disfigurement as a result of the accident

When you hire a Huntsville personal injury attorney, they can help you highlight the damages you have endured as a result of your accident. 

How are Non-Economic Damages Calculated?

Your Huntsville personal injury lawyer can also help you ensure that you get the best possible compensation for your damages. What you receive for these types of damages can vary. 

The value of non-economic damages is sometimes calculated with a multiplier of between one and five. A one is used for injuries that aren’t extremely severe. In contrast, a five would be used for someone who had catastrophic injuries such as a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) or a spinal cord injury (SCI) leading to paralysis. 

The multiplier is used with the dollar amount of the claimant’s economic damages to determine the value of the non-economic damages. For instance, if your economic damages totaled $50,000 and the multiplier used was two, you would receive $100,000 for your non-economic damages. 

To learn more about what your non-economic damages are worth or how they might be calculated, reach out to a Huntsville personal injury attorney.

Seek Fair Compensation with a Knowledgeable Huntsville Personal Injury Lawyer 

If you sustained injuries because of someone else’s negligence, you deserve compensation for both your economic and non-economic damages. The first step to this recovery is getting legal help. Schedule your consultation personal injury case review with an experienced Huntsville personal injury lawyer by calling Cloud, Ryan & Rouse at 256-801-1000 or completing our online contact form.