No one expects a typical day to end in an emergency room with serious injuries, yet painful and debilitating injuries can happen in an instant, sending the injury victim’s life spinning off-course. Serious injuries have substantial repercussions. The consequences of a personal injury are even more distressing when the injury wouldn’t have occurred if only another party had taken reasonable actions to prevent causing harm.
While nothing can erase an injury and its consequences—the “damages” in a personal injury case—a Washington personal injury claim provides relief for economic damages and compensation for non-economic damages like pain and suffering. A personal injury lawyer in Marysville can help you navigate any complexities and get you the compensation you deserve.
Common Personal Injury Cases In Washington
Injuries happen in many ways. When they occur due to the injury victim’s own mistake or carelessness, the injured person has no legal recourse for compensation for the resulting damages; however, if the injury happens because of someone else’s actions or negligence, the at-fault party is liable for the victim’s economic and non-economic damages. In most cases, an appropriate insurance policy covers compensatory damages in Washington personal injury cases such as the following:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip-and-fall injuries and other premises accidents
- Workplace injuries
- Defective product claims
- Dog bites
- Medical malpractice claims
- Nursing home abuse
- Birth injury claims
Personal injury law is based on the premise that we all owe a duty of care to take reasonable actions to prevent causing injury to others in our orbit. If someone breaches that duty by acting negligently, recklessly, or with intentional wrongdoing they are responsible for compensating the injury victim for their damages.
Understanding Economic and Non-Economic Compensatory Damages
A personal injury claim against a liable party compensates an injury victim for their damages. Economic damages are the tangible effects of a personal injury. These damages are easy to calculate using bills, receipts, and paycheck stubs. Economic damages cover accident-related expenses that cause financial hardship to injury victims. Non-economic damages are the intangible aspects of injuries that can’t be as easily calculated but directly impact the victim’s quality of life.
Common Economic Damages in Washington Personal Injury Claims
Economic damages quickly add up. Even mild injuries can cause financial hardship with a single large hospital bill and a week of missed pay. More serious or disabling injuries can be financially devastating. Common economic damages in Washington personal injury cases include:
- Hospital bills and future medical costs
- Lost wages and future income loss
- Diminished future earning capacity for cases of disability
- Out-of-pocket expenses such as travel costs to see specialists
Economic damages impact an injury victim’s ability to provide for themselves and their family.
Common Non-Economic Damages in Personal Injury Claims In Washington
Non-economic damages impact the injury victim’s ability to accomplish daily routines and enjoy the same quality of life they had before the injury. These are often the worst aspects of an injury. Common non-economic damages in Washington personal injury claims include the following:
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for diminished quality of life
- Compensation for traumatic limb loss, the loss of one of the senses, or disfigurement
- PTSD, anxiety, depression, or emotional trauma
Monetary compensation is the civil court’s only means of justice for an injury victims’s non economic damages. Compensation doesn’t erase the injury, but it provides a sense of justice and financial accountability while substantially increasing the total compensatory damages available to an injury victim.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer From Wells Trumbull Help?
Recovering compensation in a personal injury case requires presenting compelling evidence of the at-fault party’s liability and crafting a carefully calculated list of damages to obtain the best possible outcome. Contact the Washinton personal injury attorneys at Wells Trumbull for experienced legal representation in your case.