Being involved in a motor vehicle accident can be a distressing event, resulting in emotional trauma, significant injuries, and financial problems, including a loss of income because of the inability to work. However, if you suffered harm in a Georgia motor vehicle accident, you may have legal options you can pursue and financial remedies you can obtain. This blog will review the financial recovery you can fight for after a motor vehicle accident and explain how a car accident lawyer can help you.
Pursuing Financial Damages After a Georgia Car Accident
Georgia is an at-fault state, meaning that the individuals who caused the accident will be responsible for the costs of the accident. These costs are referred to as financial damages. Some of the more common damages you can pursue after a motor vehicle accident include economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
These damages relate to the financial aspect of a claim. These damages usually include the following expenses:
- Hospital bills
- Medications
- Doctor visits
- Past and future medical bills related to the harm sustained
- Lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Home adjustments
- Property damages
Non-Economic Damages
These damages refer to the hard-to-quantify damages you experienced due to an accident. These damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Anguish
- Emotional effects
- Physical suffering
- Quality of life issues
- Trauma
Although economic damages are easy to determine, figuring out non-economic damages tends to be more challenging due to their subjective nature. That is why, to better understand these damages and which ones you may be able to pursue, consider reaching out to an experienced Georgia car accident attorney as soon as possible. These legal professionals can help you figure out which remedies may apply to your case and assist you in fighting for the compensation you deserve.
In addition, while these damages may be recovered from the responsible party’s insurance company, depending on the situation, a car accident victim may need to sue for this recovery.
Punitive Damages
Unlike economic and non-economic damages, punitive damages do not apply following every car accident. Instead, punitive damages are only awarded when an individual has shown willful misconduct, malice, fraud, or willingly puts others in danger. These damages are also not offered to compensate the victim for their losses but rather to penalize, punish, and deter the defendant for their actions.
The Factors That Can Impact Financial Recovery
The amount of compensation you can obtain after a motor vehicle accident will depend on several factors, including:
- The severity of your injuries, the more catastrophic and permanent the injuries are, the higher the compensation will usually be due to increased medical expenses and a more significant impact on your quality of life
- The distribution of fault
- Insurance policy limits
In situations where the monetary damages exceed the limit set by the insurance company, a skilled motor vehicle accident attorney can explore other avenues for compensation, including different insurance policies or personal assets.
Understanding these factors and their impact on a potential legal claim is critical for pursuing a successful case. Working with a skilled car accident attorney can help you determine which factors can affect your claim and prepare the strongest legal arguments to help you go after the compensation you are entitled to.
Contact Richard D. Hobbs & Associates Today and Learn More About the Legal Options You Have
If you sustained harm in a car accident in Georgia and want to know the legal options and financial remedies you can pursue, contact Richard D. Hobbs & Associates today. Our skilled Georgia car accident attorney can help you determine not only if you have a viable legal claim but also assist you in going after the money you deserve.
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