If you’ve had an auto accident and suffered injuries, you don’t need anyone to tell you how much it can shake things up for you. You may now find yourself without a car yet you have doctors’ appointments to attend.
There are even more downsides if you suffered serious injuries in the crash. You may require urgent care, surgery, rehabilitation or around-the-clock nursing care. You may be unable to work, take your kids where they need to go or accompany your spouse places like you did before your crash occurred.
Your accident can, therefore, impact you not only physically but also emotionally and financially. You must think to yourself that you deserve something for all the turmoil that you’re going through.
What are “damages” as it relates to a car accident?
When you hear the word “damages,” you may think about dents, broken windshields and other physical manifestations, particularly to your vehicle. There are other damages that motorists suffer in car accidents. This term can also refer to the monetary amount a judge or jury awards a victim for harm that they suffered. Damages, in this case, serve the role of restoring a person back to their pre-accident self.
How do punitive and compensatory damages differ?
Two types of economic awards that judges and juries may offer include compensatory and punitive damages.
Compensatory damages cover anything from current and future medical bills, lost wages, household expenses and those associated with:
- Loss of consortium
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of personal enjoyment
The court may also impose punitive damages if the person who caused an accident engaged in intentional or immoral acts. The court’s goal in imposing damages in such a case is to discourage the negligent motorist from committing similar ill-intentioned acts in the future.
Pursuing damages following your injury accident
Missouri is an at-fault auto insurance state, meaning that a motorist injured in an accident can hold the negligent party liable for covering their accident-related expenses. The only complication with laws like this is that you still have to prove liability. Doing so isn’t likely to be easy. You may want to learn more about how to build a solid case if you’re looking to recover damages.
