A car accident in Denver can significantly impact a person’s life, disrupting their daily routine and making it challenging to work or engage in previously enjoyable activities due to physical injuries. However, victims and their loved ones tend to focus solely on the physical injuries caused by the accident and overlook the emotional and financial consequences of personal injury accidents.
Impact of a Car Accident on Victims
A car accident in Denver can have substantial physical, emotional, and financial consequences in which case you will need a car accident Denver lawyer. The emotional and mental impact of an accident can be as significant as the physical injuries, affecting a person’s life activities. Therefore, both the physical and emotional damages require attention and treatment. In such cases, financial compensation serves to adequately compensate the individual for their financial losses as well as the physical and emotional distress resulting from the accident.
What Qualifies As Physical Damages?
Physical damages are the damages relating to a bodily injury. Many economic damages stem from physical damages. They may include:
- Ambulance bills
- Emergency response and care
- Stabilization measures including surgery, medications and medical supplies
- The cost of doctors, specialists, nursing care, nurse’s assistant care
- Surgery
- Diagnostic testing like scans, MRIs and the like
- Mobility devices like wheelchairs, scooters and crutches
- Boots and casts
- Hospitalization expenses
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- The cost associated with travel to medical care
- Home modifications, if needed
- Outpatient and in-home nursing care
- Follow-up care
- Pain and suffering
Physical damages refer to losses resulting from physical injuries sustained in an accident. Although there are other financial losses that may not be categorized as physical damages, such as lost wages and damage to personal property, physical damages solely pertain to losses associated with physical injuries.
Pain and Suffering as a Physical Damage
Pain and suffering falls under the category of non-economic damages, meaning that it cannot be quantified by a specific monetary value. Nevertheless, pain and suffering is very much associated with physical damages, as physical injuries can cause significant pain and suffering. Despite its classification as a non-economic damage, pain and suffering can be included in a personal injury claim as a measure of loss resulting from physical injuries.
What Qualifies As Emotional Damages?
The mental anguish and suffering that result from a person’s physical injuries are known as emotional damages. Though they cannot be measured visually, they cause real harm to the victim’s well-being and state of mind. Emotional damages differ from physical pain. Individuals who have experienced a severe accident can attest that recovering from the emotional fallout and adjusting to a new way of life can be just as difficult as healing from the physical injuries.
Here are some examples of emotional damages:
- Depression
- Anxiety/fear
- Flashbacks
- Feelings of humiliation, embarrassment or loneliness
- Shock
- Fatigue
- Changes in appetite
- PTSD
- Loss of motivation and the inability to complete daily tasks
Emotional damages can sometimes produce physical effects. For example, a person with depression, anxiety or fear may suffer from headaches or sensitivity to loud noises. A change in appetite can lead to weight loss or gain.
How Does a Car Accident Affect You Emotionally?
Experiencing a car accident can lead to emotional distress, as it disrupts one’s sense of security and daily routine. The resulting injuries may prevent the person from engaging in activities they once enjoyed or earning a livelihood, which can affect their self-esteem and sense of purpose. The victim may also develop a fear of being involved in another accident. The aftermath of a car accident can be a sudden jolt to one’s life, stability, and routine, and the extent of emotional damages may vary but can be severe and cause significant disruption.
Is Emotional Distress Considered Personal Injury?
The emotional distress resulting from a physical injury is considered a type of personal injury. Consequently, it is included in a personal injury claim. However, there are exceptions to this rule. To receive compensation for emotional distress damages, the victim usually needs to have sustained an actual physical injury. Just experiencing a close call or near miss does not meet the requirements for claiming emotional distress damages related to personal injury.
What Qualifies As Financial Damages?
Financial damages refer to any type of monetary loss or income reduction that comes with a physical injury. Medical expenses are one example of financial damages. Essentially, financial damages represent the financial impact that an accident has on the victim. It’s possible for a victim to overlook financial losses if they’re not aware of all the various types involved. Any type of monetary loss, whether direct or indirect, resulting from medical bills or loss of income due to the injuries, is considered financial damages in a personal injury claim.
Which Is Worse, Physical Pain or Emotional Damage?
Both physical pain and emotional damages are serious and valid injuries in a personal injury case, deserving of compensation. In some instances, the compensation for these types of suffering may even exceed monetary damages. The amount of damages awarded depends on the extent of actual suffering experienced. To claim compensation for pain and suffering, it is necessary to provide evidence of physical pain and its duration as a result of the accident. Similarly, it is important to present evidence of mental health injuries and their impact on the victim’s life, which can be done through mental health treatment providers and journaling of symptoms. A personal injury attorney can assist in preparing and presenting this information.
Compensation for Physical, Emotional and Financial Damages
It’s crucial to take a comprehensive approach when dealing with personal injury resulting from a car accident. Your physical injuries are just a part of the bigger picture. The law permits you to consider all the ways the accident has affected your life and seek reasonable compensation accordingly. Our attorneys for car accident injuries can help you claim the physical, emotional and financial damages you deserve. Contact us today.