Determining how much you are owed as compensation for injuries and property loss sustained in your car accident is the cornerstone of any successful car accident injury claim. It is impossible to negotiate with an insurance company, or pursue a case in court, if you and your attorney cannot determine an acceptable amount for your injuries and property loss. Car accident lawyers in Kansas use a variety of formulas to determine the correct amount, and each of these formulas has its advantages and disadvantages. The one thing each method has in common is that they all focus on damages.
There are two types of damages: economic and non-economic damages. Often times, an attorney will base his appraisal of non-economic damages on the extent of your economic damages.
What are economic and non-economic damages?
Economic Damages
In short, economic damages are those damages that are easy to quantify. It is easy to assess the amount it will take to repair or replace your vehicle and personal property, settle medical bills for injuries related to the accident, and calculate lost wages for time you were unable to work. These are all compensatory, economic damages.
If you have asked for, received, and saved all of your bills, estimates, and pay stubs, it will not take you and your attorney long to calculate the total amount of economic damages you incurred as a result of the accident. The next step is to calculate the non-economic damages.
Non-economic Damages
Many people refer to non-economic damages as “pain & suffering”. These are those damages that are hard to quantify. That does not make them any less real, but it’s hard to put a concrete figure on the fact that your quality of life has suffered because of constant nightmares or erectile dysfunction due to a spinal injury. While these damages may be tough to evaluate and document on paper, working together, you and your attorney can arrive at a justifiable amount.
After you have assessed both your economic and non-economic damages, your attorney can then pursue your claim with the insurance companies and, if necessary, in a court of law.
At our law firm, we help victims obtain their due from Kansas insurance companies, and we can help you. If you feel you have suffered an injury through another’s negligence, I invite you to fill out our free car accident claim evaluation form. One of our expert car accident lawyers will review you case and contact you shortly to arrange a free consultation.