After an accident, whether a car accident, motorcycle crash, or slip-and-fall accident, you could recover economic damages in Texas. Texas personal injury law allows injured parties to hold negligent parties accountable for their actions. You could recover both economic and non-economic damages depending on the losses and suffering you’ve endured after a personal injury accident.
Economic damages are awarded to compensate the victim for what they have been through after the accident. It is meant to make the plaintiff whole again.
It is helpful to understand common examples of economic damages that could be involved in a personal injury lawsuit and how a skilled personal injury attorney can help you pursue all available compensation.
Medical Expenses
Injuries may result after an accident. Some injuries may be more severe than others. For example, spinal cord injuries may be permanent and debilitating compared to broken bones or bruises that may heal entirely. No matter what injury you have suffered from an accident, you may encounter various costs related to your treatment. However, you could be entitled to recover medical expenses from the negligent party.
Medical expenses could include:
- Hospital stay
- Emergency room care
- Surgeries
- Prescription medication
- X-rays
- CT scan
- MRI
- Blood tests
- Physical therapy
- Pain management treatments
Plaintiffs must keep all medical bills since they will make the lawsuit smoother.
Future Medical Care
Besides past medical expenses, plaintiffs could recover any future medical care they need to treat their accident-related injuries. This is most commonly awarded in cases where victims have suffered permanent injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, amputations, or paralysis. Future medical care may include future surgeries, rehabilitation, and at-home medical assistance.
Property Damage
The need to recover compensation for property damage is commonly seen in cases involving car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and truck crashes. You could recover property damage if you’re involved in a collision and your vehicle is damaged. You may also be entitled to compensation if you are injured in a slip and fall accident that causes your cell phone to break.
Property damage is meant to compensate the plaintiff for any vehicle damage or other personal property destroyed during the accident. Commonly damaged property includes cars, cell phones, tablets, laptops, glasses, jewelry, and more. It is essential to keep all receipts when proving property damage. For example, you could recover your vehicle’s repair or replacement costs after a car accident.
Lost Wages
You most likely must take time out of work to recover from your injuries. You could recover lost wages from the negligent party if your injury caused you to miss work. Lost wages are often calculated by looking at the plaintiff’s previous pay stubs and multiplying it by the number of days or weeks that they were out of work. Those with higher positions and higher salaries may recover more in compensation.
You could also be entitled to recover compensation if you are self-employed. However, it is important to provide documentation that supports your claim of lost wages.
Future Loss of Earning Capacity
Texas law also recognizes the loss of earning capacity. This is to award the plaintiff future earnings they could have earned if not injured in the accident. This is most commonly seen in permanent injuries, such as paralysis. The accident victim may not be able to return to their previous job.
If your future wages are diminished as a result of the accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you establish a claim for future loss of earning capacity.
Funeral Expenses
In wrongful death cases, the accident victim’s family members hold the negligent party accountable for their loved one’s death. A wrongful death lawsuit can only be filed in specific cases. Wrongful death also allows the family members to recover funeral and burial costs.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
In some cases, parties may recover out-of-pocket expenses from the negligent party. Paying expenses out of pocket after an accident can be costly. You could have these expenses reimbursed by the negligent party. It is crucial to keep track of bills, invoices, and receipts to recover compensation for out-of-pocket expenses.
Does Texas Cap Economic Damages in Personal Injury Lawsuits?
In Texas, there is generally no limit on the amount of economic damages you could receive for your personal injury lawsuit. This allows your attorney to pursue the full compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses.
An Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You Seek Economic Damages
Economic damages are much easier to calculate than noneconomic damages using bills, repair estimates, receipts, invoices, and more. Economic damages play a huge role in determining the value of your personal injury lawsuit and helping you begin to move forward after an accident. For a specific look into your accident and the compensation you could receive, call a Texas personal injury lawyer to discuss your case during a free consultation.
Contact the Dallas Personal Injury Law Firm of Bush Personal Injury and Car Accident Lawyers LLC Today For Help
For more information, please contact the Dallas personal injury law firm of Bush Personal Injury and Car Accident Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.
Our office is conveniently located in Dallas, near the Dallas Downtown Historic District. We serve statewide throughout Texas.
Bush Personal Injury and Car Accident Lawyers LLC
701 Commerce Street, Suite 703
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 615-6394