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What are Personal Injury Damages?

Personal Injury | April 19, 2022 | Written by Natasha Nair

Personal injury is a large and complex field of law that covers a variety of topics, injury types, and other relevant information. If you believe you have a case and are looking for a personal injury lawyer, it is always worth gathering as much information as possible before contacting one. As experts in personal injury law, the team at Linley Welwood knows how difficult this field can be to navigate without assistance. That is why we have provided some information to help you understand what personal injury damages are and how they are calculated.

Learn about the benefits of hiring a personal injury lawyer for your case.

Personal Injury Damages – An Overview

Personal injury damages are monetary awards that an injured party may receive as compensation for harm caused by another party. To properly calculate the amount of compensation you are entitled to, insurance companies will consider two different types of damages:

Pecuniary damages—Measurable amounts of money, such as medical bills and lost wages, that have been lost and will continue to be lost because of the at-fault party’s negligence.

Non-pecuniary damages—Intangible losses that have been endured and will continue to be endured in the future, including pain, suffering, or disfigurement.

Learn all about what soft tissue damage is.

Pecuniary Damages

When calculating pecuniary damages for your personal injury case, you will need to add together all the costs resulting from the injury. These costs typically include:

  • Past and future lost wages
  • Medical bills
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
  • Replacement costs for work that cannot be completed while you are incapacitated
  • Lost or damaged personal items

Since the total of your pecuniary damages is the foundation for your personal injury calculations, it is important to ensure that the cost of all medical bills related to the injury are included. Be sure to include the full amount of every medical bill, even if some or all the costs are covered by your health insurance.

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Non-Pecuniary Damages

While pecuniary damages are easy to measure and track, non-pecuniary damages can be much harder to assess and assign a monetary value to. Some of the non-pecuniary damages that may need to be calculated for your case include:

  • Emotional distress
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Physical aches and pains
  • Persistent sleep loss

In most cases, non-pecuniary damages for mild to moderate injury claims can be calculated by doubling the total of the pecuniary damages. While this is a fairly standard practice, the value for any type of non-pecuniary damages is entirely personal and can only be assessed based on your level of pain and suffering.

Learn more about the different types of personal injury cases.

To learn more about personal injury law or to discuss the details of your case, get in touch with the team at Linley Welwood. We can be reached through our online contact form and will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our services.


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