Accidents are pretty common all around the world. Some result in minor damages, while others cause severe injuries and other losses to the victim. In the US, when one is injured due to an accident caused by someone else, the victim has a way to recover their losses.
The victim can file a personal injury claim and recover their losses from the at-fault party’s insurance company. However, doing so is not as easy as one might think. Especially in a city like Houston that saw close to 67,000 traffic accidents in 2021. Another scary fact is that over 52,000 people suffered injuries in 2021. Both these numbers show the prevalence of accidents in Houston and the number of claims insurance companies have to deal with.
Proving the elements of personal injury law is quite hard. Another complex aspect of personal injury law is calculating losses. Calculating damages in a personal injury lawsuit requires the expertise of an experienced Houston personal injury lawyer.
Many factors come into play when calculating damages. Some factors give a significant boost to your total settlement. This blog discusses the damages that lead to higher settlements. Read on.
Below is a list of damages that you may sustain in an accident. You will have to consider them when calculating damages:
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Permanent Disability
- Burn Injuries
- Death of a Loved One
- Disfigurement
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a very serious injury. TBIs are caused when you suffer a sudden jolt or a blow to your head.
The problem with TBI is that most of its effects are permanent.
Here are some of the symptoms of TBI:
- Severe headache that never goes away
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Depression
As you can see, most of the consequences of a TBI are severe and hard to deal with. This is what life will be like for a TBI victim.So naturally, as the damage is severe, you can expect a higher settlement.
Permanent Disability
Another serious consequence of an accident is permanent disability. You may lose a limb or two in the accident. This type of damage is severe since you won’t be able to carry on with your life as you were before the accident.
You will need the help of a family member or a caretaker to carry out activities that you were doing on your own before the accident.
This can cause serious mental problems too. Again, as the damage is permanent, you will get a higher settlement.
Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are not just caused by fire. It can be caused by chemicals, electricity, and radiation too.
The severity of burn injuries is categorized into three types:
- First-degree burns
- Second-degree burns
- Third-degree burns
A third-degree burn is the most severe type of burn injury. It not only affects the skin but also the nerves.
People who have sustained third-degree burns will have disfigured skin. To recover from that, they may have to undergo multiple skin graft surgeries, which can be very expensive. All these expenses can be recovered as compensation.
Disfigurement
Accidents can lead to disfigurement. The problem with disfigurement is that it can cause more emotional problems than physical problems.
People with disfigurement will have a negative body image and low self-esteem. They will also experience stress and depression and tend to self-isolate.
The emotional toll of disfigurement can be compensated in the form of non-economic losses. You can use the multiplier method or per-diem method to calculate non-economic losses.
Death of a Loved One
Death is the worst outcome of an accident. It is not easy to overcome the death of a loved one.
It will affect a person emotionally. The family member will lose the companionship of the deceased, which can never be compensated.
While you cannot put a definitive value on wrongful death, you can be certain that it will lead to increased settlement. You can also receive punitive damages on top of non-economic damages in wrongful death cases.
Final Thoughts
As said, many factors influence the amount of settlement you receive. So it is hard to calculate losses without the help of an experienced lawyer. It is best to hire a lawyer and let them handle your case.
