Special Damages

If you suffer a devastating injury, chances are you won't think there's anything very special about special damages, or the calculated expenses that the victim sustains over time. As far as insurance companies are concerned, damages include injuries, financial losses, and property destruction that affect the claimant. Special damages also refer to the dollar figure associated with each of the previously mentioned damages.

Everything that has an impact on the final payout can be included under the term general damages. However, special damages are normally the monetary figures that can be proven through documents such as receipts and medical bills. If the claimant's injury is serious enough to require medical treatment, these expenses can involve anything from ambulance transport and emergency room fees to the cost of medicine. For the most part, special damages are very cut and dry, so there should not be any confusion when it comes to calculating the total cost of damages.

Apart from special damages related to medical fees, there are some that are not as straightforward such as lost wages. If a person's injury forces them to miss work for a month, that means whoever is responsible for that injury is obligated to provide compensation for lost pay. For injuries that may not be so serious, the victim can still make a claim based on the documented sum of expenses. However, they may receive little to no reimbursement.

For severe injuries, the amount of damages increases. If it appears that the injury is permanent or will require a lengthy recovery period, the insurance company will compute the long-term value of that disability. This figure is then combined with the special damages previously incurred. If your case reaches this point, it is wise to obtain a lawyer if you have not already done so.

These additional damages range from future medical bills to lost opportunities. Something as difficult to quantify as pain falls under special damages. For long-lasting injuries, pain could be present for years to come. If the accident causes an eternal scar that is impossible to conceal, this could result in a lifetime of humiliation. These are examples of suffering, and a dollar amount needs to be determined based on these damages that can only be described by the victim. This assessment is then attached to the list of special damages.