People get hurt in Texas every day, and some of these situations are clearly the fault of another person or a business. Negligence, crucial omissions and also criminal behavior that violates local, state or federal law may open other parties up to personal injury claims.
Those negatively affected by an individual or company can ask the courts to financially compensate them for the injuries and losses they experienced. What kind of compensation is permissible in a Texas personal injury claim?
Medical expenses
If you get hit by a drunk driver or fall down the stairs at a poorly maintained property, you may require emergency medical care and then additional treatment later. From surgeries to physical therapy, the road to recovery may be paved with massive medical expenses.
Even if you have health insurance, you may have deductibles to meet or co-pays due before every physical therapy session. A personal injury lawsuit gives you a chance to fully recoup those costs and likely future medical expenses instead of shouldering part of them yourself.
Lost wages and earning potential
If an injury is severe enough to require medical intervention or hospitalization, then you may miss out on days if not weeks. A personal injury claim can potentially compensate you for the income you lost because you were unable to work.
You may also be able to claim the long-term impact of your injuries if you will have to change professions and will earn less money and potentially have worse work benefits in the future.
Emotional or psychological harm
When an injury affects your quality of life or mental health, especially if the impact is permanent, you may qualify for compensation for the emotional suffering that you experience. The extent of your injuries will influence how much the courts may award in this category of compensation.
Compensation for the effects on your immediate family
When someone gets hurt, their loved ones often have to accommodate them. From your spouse taking a protracted leave of absence from work to care for you during your recovery to the requirement to bring in professional lawn maintenance services because you can’t maintain the yard anymore, there may be a direct financial impact on your family caused by your injuries.
Determining the practical impact of your recent injury will help you maximize the compensation that you receive from the other party involved.