Suing for Economic Damages in Arizona
After an injury or accident, a personal injury lawsuit can help you pay your medical bills, recoup your losses, and start your life anew. Suing for economic damages can help restore your life to the same financial condition it was in before the accident.
What Are Economic Damages?
In a personal injury case, economic damages are a repayment of the financial losses you incurred due to the accident or injury. This can look like money for a new car, or a salary for the time lost at work while you heal.
There are several types of damages you can claim, depending on your situation, but economic damages are the easiest to determine. Unlike punitive or non-economic damages, these financial losses are tangible, and can be boiled down to a specific number.
Types of Economic Damages
1. Lost Wages
Having to call out of work, take a leave of absence, or quit your job because of an injury often leads to financial hardship. Lost wages from the accident, time spent in the hospital, or loss of the ability to perform your job all qualify as lost wages. Keeping a record of the time lost as well as a record of your pay history can help you recoup some of those losses in a lawsuit.
2. Medical Expenses
Any medical expenses that you incur from an accident or injury caused by someone else can be included in economic damages. Medical expenses include emergency visits, follow-ups, physical therapy, and even mental health appointments. It is important to keep any and all bills pertaining to your injury and keep a record of any money you used to pay for them.
3. Property Damage
You can also sue for any property damage that was caused by an accident or injury. Property damage can range from damage to something as large as a home to something as small as a ring. The most common example would be damage to a car after a traffic accident.
4. Lost Earning Capability
Your earning capability is an estimate of how much your skills are worth in the world. This number is often calculated for things like life insurance. A loss of earning capability means you earn less for your work now than you used to, due to an accident or injury.
How Are Economic Damages Calculated?
Unlike the intricacies of non-economic damages, economic damages are easily tallied. Each one of the different types of economic damages can be calculated and added up. This makes economic damages the easiest form of damages to recoup from a personal injury case.
It is important to understand that you will need solid evidence in order to sue for economic damages. You’ll need to collect things like:
- Bills and invoices from doctors or mental health professionals
- Receipts for broken items and their replacements
- Pay stubs or a record of your earnings, to prove the amount of income you would have generated if you had not been injured
Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer
You don’t have to suffer because of someone else’s negligence, but filing a personal injury suit in Arizona can get very complicated. The right lawyer will help you understand your chances, let you know what evidence you need, and help you win what you are entitled to.
The experts at Van Norman Law can help you decide which types of economic damages to claim. We will fight for you to get every bit of the compensation that you deserve. Contact us to schedule a consultation today.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (10/27/23). Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko.