If you’ve been injured in a collision, your claim isn’t just about getting your car fixed. In California, you can generally seek three main types of compensation:
- Economic Damages: These are the tangible, “receipt-based” costs. They include medical bills (ER visits, surgeries, therapy), lost income from missed work, and the cost to repair or replace your vehicle.
- Non-Economic Damages: These address the “human toll” of the accident, which doesn’t come with a bill. This includes pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. Families may also file a “loss of consortium” claim for the impact the injury has on their relationship with a spouse or partner.
- Punitive Damages: These are rare and only awarded in extreme cases to punish a defendant for “malice, oppression, or fraud,” such as a drunk driving incident.
Understanding these categories is vital for ensuring you don’t leave money on the table during a settlement.
