After a car accident in Dayton, OH, victims can pursue lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering. These categories cover the financial impact of the accident, from immediate healthcare costs to long-term earnings lost due to the accident injuries, as well as the emotional and physical distress experienced.
While these are the basic areas of compensation, understanding the full scope of what you’re entitled to receive can be complex. A Dayton car accident lawyer can offer guidance through this process.
Your Possible Damages in a Datyton Car Accident Case
If you’re involved in a car accident in Dayton, OH, you may be eligible to receive a full range of damages. Understanding what your case entails and the losses you have now and in the future could ensure you receive fair compensation.
Damages from a motor vehicle accident fall into two primary categories: economic and non-economic damages. Each type addresses different aspects of the harm you suffered due to the accident.
Economic damages cover the measurable financial losses resulting from the accident. These damages aim to restore your financial position to what it would have been if the accident had not occurred. Economic damages our personal injury attorneys often see include:
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses include the costs for emergency medical attention, hospitalization, surgery, medication, rehabilitation, and any ongoing medical treatments you require due to the accident. These also encompass expenses for future medical care anticipated because of your injuries.
Lost Wages and Earning Capacity
You can claim compensation for wages lost while you were recovering from your injuries. If the injuries affect your ability to work in the future, you may claim compensation for loss of earning capacity. This damage considers the difference between your earnings before and after the accident.
Property Damage
Property damage typically involves the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle and any other personal property damaged in the accident. It can also include the diminished value of the property because of the accident.
Non-economic damages compensate for the loss in your quality of life because of the accident. These damages are subjective and not easily quantified, making their assessment more complex. These include such items as:
Pain and Suffering
This damage includes compensation for the physical pain and discomfort you experienced during and after the accident. This damage can also represent your ongoing pain associated with permanent injuries.
Emotional Distress
Emotional distress covers the psychological impact of the accident, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Compensation aims to address the mental suffering that accompanies physical injuries or the trauma of the accident itself.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
When your injuries prevent you from enjoying hobbies, leisure activities, or daily routines, you may receive compensation for the loss of your enjoyment of life. This damage acknowledges the impact the accident has had on your overall quality of life.
Loss of Consortium
Spouses of car accident victims can claim loss of consortium damages, which compensate for the loss of companionship, affection, and support suffered due to the injuries.
Loss of Parental Support
Children of car accident victims may be entitled to compensation for the loss of parental support and guidance. This form of damage acknowledges the loss of a parent’s love, care, companionship, and guidance resulting from the injuries sustained in an accident. It recognizes the profound impact on a child’s life when a parent’s injuries prevent them from providing the same level of support, affection, and parental engagement as they did before the accident.
Wrongful Death Damages
In the unfortunate event that a car accident results in the victim’s death, the victim’s family members or estate may file a wrongful death claim. This legal action seeks to compensate the family for the financial and emotional losses incurred due to their loved one’s death. Some of the types of damages are like a personal injury claim. They may include:
- Funeral and burial expenses: Costs associated with the funeral service, burial, and other related expenses.
- Medical expenses prior to death: Medical costs incurred as a result of the accident and before the victim’s death.
- Loss of income and benefits: The income the deceased would have earned if they had lived, including future earnings, benefits, and retirement savings.
- Loss of companionship: Compensation for the loss of love, companionship, care, and protection the deceased provided to family members.
- Emotional distress: Compensation for the mental anguish and suffering experienced by the family due to their loss.
- Loss of consortium: For the spouse of the deceased, compensation for the loss of marital benefits, including companionship and affection.
- Loss of parental guidance: For children of the deceased, compensation for the loss of parental guidance, education, and nurturing.
A Dayton personal injury lawyer can provide assistance investigating and evaluating your damages, ensuring that every potential area of compensation is thoroughly explored.
Your Time to Pursue Car Accident Damages Is Limited
In Ohio, the statute of limitations sets a deadline for filing a car accident lawsuit. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2305.10, victims have two years from the date of the accident to initiate legal action. Failing to file within this period typically bars you from seeking financial compensation through the court system.
If you are looking for legal assistance, we advise contacting a lawyer as soon as possible after your accident. They can ensure you meet this crucial deadline but also protect your rights throughout the accident claims process. An early start allows your attorney to gather evidence more effectively and build a stronger case on your behalf.
We Can Pursue Damages Following Your Dayton Car Accident
If a negligent driver injured you in a car accident in Dayton, you have the right to pursue damages. Our accident attorneys can investigate your accident, and from the evidence we gather, we can determine a fair settlement value for your losses. You do not have to pay for the poor decisions of others. Let us help you pursue what is rightfully yours.
Call The Fitch Law Firm LLC today for a free case consultation.