You need to know what types of compensation you can recover after a car accident in South Carolina. There are different categories of damages for the different ways that a person may be affected by being in a car accident.
West Law Firm explains the types of compensation for a car accident.
What Compensation Can You Claim After a Car Accident?
Compensation that you can claim after an accident reflects your damages. These are the ways that you are harmed by being in a car accident. Compensation is money paid to a car accident victim for how they are affected.
There are lots of ways that a person may be harmed by being in a car accident, both economically and personally. If a category or type of loss applies to a victim, they may claim for it. The person seeking compensation must prove the defendant’s fault, causation of losses, and the amount of damages.
10 Types of Compensation after a Car Accident
- Medical Expenses
When a person has injuries in a car accident, they will probably receive medical care. The cost of healthcare is a type of car accident compensation that can be recovered. A person may claim for expenses already incurred and expenses likely to occur in the future.
- Lost Wages
Car accident injuries may impact a person’s ability to work. Direct loss of income because of a car accident can be claimed in compensation.
- Loss of Earning Capacity
Long-term changes in the ability to earn an income may result from car accident injuries. In the short term, income loss is called lost wages. When an entire career path is diminished because of car accident injuries, the person may claim for loss of earning capacity.
- Physical Pain and Suffering
Car accident injuries are physically painful. Even though physical pain can’t be directly measured by a dollar amount, it may be valued and claimed. The amount varies depending on the duration and severity of the pain.
- Mental Anguish and Suffering
Being in a car accident is upsetting; a person may experience general distress. They may have mental health injuries like anxiety, flashbacks, PTSD, guilt, and depression; they may be afraid of further harm. A type of compensation that you can recover after a car accident in South Carolina is payment for mental and emotional suffering.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life
A car accident can change a person’s life. They may no longer have the same social and business activities. They may not be able to get the same enjoyment out of life, like traveling, going for a walk, or having dinner with friends. These changes are called loss of enjoyment of life. A person’s overall life expectancy and diminishment of life quality may factor into compensation.
- Scars, Disfigurement
To the extent that car accident injuries result in scars or disfigurement, a person may claim compensation; the amount is proportional to the severity and visibility of harm.
- Out- of- pocket Expenses
When you’re in a car accident, there’s a good chance that you will have some out-of-pocket expenses. These expenses might relate to medical care, like traveling to appointments or paying for over-the-counter medical products, for example. Other possible expenses are household help and replacement services. Out-of-pocket expenses can be claimed in recovery from a car accident.
- Property Damage
A car accident may result in damage to the vehicle, damage to personal items in the vehicle, and torn clothing. These losses may be paid in recovery.
- Loss of Consortium
A car accident doesn’t just affect the victim, it affects the victim’s spouse, too. Loss of consortium is compensation paid to a spouse for the loss of aid, society, and services, which includes sexual relations.
Your Recovery After a Car Accident Is Unique to You
Not every type of car accident compensation applies to everyone. For example, some people work, and some people don’t, so lost wages vary. Some people are severely injured by a car accident, while others merely have bumps and bruises. A car accident may impact a person’s mobility, while someone else may notice little difference.
When recovering compensation, your recovery is unique to your situation.
Is Compensation the Same as Damages with Car Accidents?
Sort of. Compensation for a car accident reflects the victim’s actual losses. Damages are what the party responsible is liable to pay. Punitive damages are not compensatory; they don’t reflect the actual losses of the victim.
Most damages – economic and non-economic – are compensatory. Although punitive damages are paid to the victim, they are not compensatory.
Note: This is the law in South Carolina. Most other state laws are similar. However, there may be important differences in state law that could lead to a different result.
Lawyer for Car Accident Compensation
Types of compensation that you can recover for after a car accident in South Carolina include economic and non-economic damages.
At West Law Firm, we help car accident victims get their compensation. Call or message us now to talk to a lawyer and get help with your case.