The purpose of filing a civil suit over a pedestrian accident caused by a negligent driver is not to directly punish the driver for their misconduct or to secure a cash payout. Instead, the goal is to minimize the degree to which someone else’s irresponsible actions negatively impact your life by seeking reimbursement for specific compensable damages you can trace directly back to your injury.
Damages in Columbia pedestrian accidents can vary in both nature and value depending on the circumstances leading up to the accident and the type of injuries the accident caused. Our seasoned pedestrian accident attorneys from Whetstone Perkins & Fulda could help you effectively pursue recovery for your losses.
Recovering for Specific Economic Losses After a Pedestrian Crash
Perhaps the most obvious type of damages to seek after a Columbia pedestrian collision is the objective financial harm you sustained as a direct result of the collision, which is known in legal terms as economic damages. Medical expenses are virtually always included in pedestrian accident claims as a compensable economic loss, though you can also seek restitution for lost work wages, personal property damage, and other related out-of-pocket expenses.
Crucially, you can also demand recovery for future economic losses, such as long-term rehabilitative treatment costs, disability management expenses, and lost working and earning capacity stemming from an accident-related disability. This allows you to seek compensation for losses you can reasonably expect to suffer in the future because of your injuries, but which have not yet come to pass by the time you formally file suit.
What Are Non-Economic Damages in a Pedestrian Injury Claim?
Non-economic damages, which allow you to recover for the incident’s subjective and personal effects on your life, are also important. These are sometimes referred to as pain and suffering damages because physical pain and suffering is the archetypal example of a non-economic loss stemming from a traumatic injury.
In addition to physical discomfort, it is also possible to recover compensation for losses such as emotional distress, psychological trauma, and a decline in overall enjoyment or quality of life connected to a long-term disability. Once again, you can seek restitution in advance for non-economic harm you can expect to suffer years or even decades in the future. Since these losses do not have quantifiable financial values, help from a skilled legal professional could be vital to ensuring that a court or insurance company compensates you fairly following your Columbia pedestrian collision.
Contact a Columbia Attorney for Help Maximizing Damages After a Pedestrian Accident
The vast majority of pedestrian accident lawsuits center entirely around the two types of compensatory damages discussed above. It is theoretically possible for courts to impose punitive damages against the at-fault party in a claim of this nature, but this is a very rare outcome reserved for egregious negligence or conscious intent to cause physical harm.
If you have further questions about what might be available as damages in Columbia pedestrian accidents or how best to go about pursuing the restitution you need, a member of our Whetstone Perkins & Fulda team could provide the answers you need during a confidential consultation. Contact us today to schedule yours.
