By Lesa 
If you are in an auto accident, there are limitations on what damages and injuries you can recover. There are various types of damages that you can claim when you are in a personal injury lawsuit for an auto accident. They aren’t limited just to bodily injury, so knowing exactly what you are entitled to is imperative in order for you to receive fair compensation.
Medical expenses
When you are in an auto accident, even if your injuries are minor, the medical costs can add up fast. Some physical injuries will be immediately apparent, while others can take a significant amount of time to surface. That is why it’s imperative to seek the attention of a medical provider if you are in an auto accident. It’s never a good idea to assume that you are okay and not get the medical help you need, and many people also begin asking questions like does health insurance cover motorcycle accident injuries when trying to understand how their treatment will be paid for.
Medical expenses that can arise from an auto accident are:
- Emergency transportation
- Cognitive or physical therapy
- Appointments with medical care providers
- Heating pads, ice packs, and other accessories
- Pain and suffering and disfigurement
- Disability, both short-term and long-term
- In-home care
There are times when medical care will be required long after a case is settled. In those instances, medical professionals will calculate the additional treatment costs needed. If there is a death that results from an auto accident, family members can initiate a wrongful death suit to pay for the costs related to the treatment prior to the loss of life.
Lost wages
If you are in an accident and you can’t work while you recover, you are losing earnings. It isn’t just recovery time that may be included in lost wages. If you have to miss work due to appointments or therapy evaluations, those are also recoverable. Anything related to an auto accident that detracts from your normal work week and earned wages is reimbursable. To sue for lost wages, you have to be able to prove that your injuries prevented you from working in your normal capacity or that your injuries limited your ability to earn the amount you usually do. If it is ongoing, you will have to prove that there will be future earnings you will miss out on, but typically lost wages refer only to those in the past. If you do sue for lost wages in the future, the jury will be responsible for awarding damages and will take into consideration things such as life expectancy, age, occupation, skill level and other things related to your earning potential.
Pain and suffering
The legal definition of pain and suffering is physical or mental distress. You can seek damages for pain and suffering through a personal injury suit. The amount that you can recover is determined by the type and severity of injuries you sustained and the pain you suffered. Other things that are taken into account are loss of capacity and your future prognosis. You might be entitled to sue for emotional damages that lead to anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Pain and suffering in an accident case are determined by the state where the suit is filed.
There are very specific types of damages that you can sue for when involved in an auto accident. Knowing what you are entitled to by seeking the guidance of an auto accident lawyer is the best way to recover what you have lost.