Types of Compensation After a Car Accident

Car accidents may require you to take time off from work due to temporary or even permanent injuries, which may lead to financial struggle. There are a few types of damages you may be owed if you’ve been in a car accident.

Here at WKW, we have the resources, experience, knowledge, and skillet to maximize your compensation—and we are only a phone call away.

Medical Expenses

Car accident injuries can be as small as a cut, scrape, or bruise. They can also be as severe as paralysis, lifelong disability, or even death. And sometimes, injuries do not appear immediately, which means medical attention will be needed later on.

Regardless of how you feel after an accident, we advise you get a medical exam as soon as possible after the crash. This is especially important if you believe that—even to the slightest degree—you have been injured. Medical expenses can include, but are not limited to, the following categories:

• Physical therapy
• Cognitive therapy
• Ambulance costs
• Meetings with healthcare professionals
• Purchased aids, such as crutches or heating pads
• Lifelong disability
• In-home assistance

We can help calculate future costs you may be owed if your doctors believe you will likely need further medical treatments or therapy after the time that your claim is settled. Doctors and other healthcare professionals often help us calculate these dollar amounts.

Wrongful death claims are also possible if the at-fault party has killed a motorist. The surviving family has the right to file such a claim.

Pain and Suffering

You may seek out damages for pain and suffering when mental or physical distress comes after an accident. The amount of compensation awarded will depend on the type of injury, the amount of pain suffered, and projections made by healthcare professionals as to how long the pain will last. This may include emotional damage due to an accident, such as depression, stress, and/or anxiety. It may also be possible to sue for a lack of enjoyment of life.

Lost Wages

You may lose your ability to obtain earnings after a car accident. This may be due to your inability to work, outpatient sessions—such as physical therapy—hospital stays, mobility issues, or any further issues that may interfere with your ability to earn. Without diagnosed conditions or injuries resulting from the accident, this may be difficult to prove in court.

Factors such as your age, job, skill set, experience, and life expectancy can all play a role in determining if you qualify for lost wages. All proof of future earnings is based upon past earnings.

Loss of Affection or Companionship

Married couples may suffer if one member of the partnership is injured in an accident. An injured party may be unable to show affection or participate in sexual activity. Legally, this is considered a loss of consortium.

These types of losses are only able to be claimed by an uninjured spouse. There must be recovered, injury-related damages in order to qualify for loss of companionship, affection, or consortium.

Should a motorist pass away due to their injuries, the surviving family may claim loss of companionship. The following factors are considered during this type of claim:

• It should be demonstrated that the deceased had a loving relationship with the plaintiff
• The past relationship was deemed to be harmonious
• The impact of the motorist’s death is substantial to the surviving family member(s)

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages, which are awarded in cases of excessive force or harm, are rare when it comes to auto accidents. They are often only paid to deter a motorist from future ill-advised actions.

Types of Special Damages

Special damages include:

• Past and future medical costs
• Loss of irreplaceable objects
• Replacing or repairing damaged property
• Lost wages

How Are General Damages Calculated?

An exact dollar amount is often assigned when deciding the amount of compensation a car accident victim should receive. Mental and emotional damage will be unique to each suing plaintiff. The gruesomeness and sensitivity of the injury are always factored into the damages awarded.

Who Pays for My Claim?

After an accident where you are found not at fault, you’ll often recover damages as a result of liability insurance. Your uninsured (UM)/underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage will pay your expenses if your are hit by a driver with limited to no insurance.

What Is UM/UIM Insurance?

If an at-fault driver does not have insurance or has insurance to a limited capacity, you can still be covered by obtaining uninsured (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) insurance.

What Your Insurance Will & Won’t Pay For

Paying for insurance puts you in a binding contract with the insurance company. As long as you continue to pay your premiums on time, the insurance company will hold up their end of the bargain and pay for accident damages that are within your policy limitations. There are various types of insurance and the kind you carry will determine the types of damages you can be awarded.

What Is Liability Insurance?

If you’ve caused a car accident, liability insurance will cover the damages you owe for injuries and property damage. Post-accident medical costs are not often covered by liability insurance. To receive medical cost coverage, you must purchase personal injury protection, also known as PIP. PIP covers both the insured driver and passengers.

What Is Collision Insurance?

Collision insurance will cover property damage. This type of insurance is optional. It will pay for repairs or replacement to your vehicle, along with other objects that have been hit. Damages to another vehicle or damage done while in the course of normal, everyday driving are not covered.

What Is Comprehensive Insurance?

Non-collision damages caused by fire, theft, or weather can be covered by comprehensive insurance coverage.

Contact an Automobile Accident Attorney Today

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, contact the Indianapolis car accident attorneys of Wilson Kehoe Winingham. Our lawyers can help you and your family fight for the compensation you deserve. Call 317.920.6400 or fill out our online contact form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.