Types of Damages You’re Entitled to in Whiplash Injuries
Posted on January 29, 2010 | Category: Legal Trivia
The most common injury suffered by most people that are unfortunate enough to be in auto accidents is whiplash. It affects over one million Americans every year and can range in severity from mild soreness to serious long term spinal injury depending on the severity and nature of the crash. If you’re trying to negotiate whiplash insurance settlements with an insurance adjuster, here are a few of the types of damages that you’re able to claim.
The first group of damages is general damages. General damages aren’t very precise and are usually determined by either the court or the parties involved. General damages are also known more popularly as “pain and suffering” damages, which are awarded for a loss in the long term quality of your life. The amount of these damages is usually determined after looking at medical reports and determining the severity of the injury.
The second major type of compensation you can claim is special compensation. This is compensation that can be proved is related to the accident and includes hospital and medical bills, lost wages, and the destruction of your personal property you suffered. Usually, these are determined by presenting receipts to the insurance adjuster or the court, so make sure that you save any receipts that are related to your accident for later use in your settlement negotiations.
The other two lesser types of damages that you can claim are punitive damages and future damages. Punitive damages are there to punish the negligent party and are only really awarded in cases where the wrongdoing is incredibly reckless or the damages were intentional. Future losses are losses that are based on lost wages over a number of years related to your injury and only really awarded for serious cases.
For more information on the damages that you can claim after an auto accident, visit the Auto Accident Settlement Center.
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