The legal system seeks to be fair to victims of an accident. It asks that the responsible party help to make the victims “whole” again. In other words, the responsible party must compensate the victim for his or her losses.
The losses for which the liable party must compensate the victim
• Past and future visits to a doctor’s office, or to some type of medical facility
• Past and future treatment for the accident-related injury
• The income lost while recovering from the treated injury
• Earnings that could be unavailable to victim in the future, due to an inability to hold the same job, or, perhaps any job
• Pain and suffering, such as anxiety, sleeplessness, emotional distress, fear or PTSD
Details that relate to delivery of the expected compensation
The insurance company of the responsible party must provide the victim with that compensation. Before it carries out that task, the same company asks all claimants/victims to sign a form that is called a release. The release represents a promise to rule out consideration by the claimant of any future charges against the insurance company, for any injuries that relate to the same accident. In addition, the release states the category for each of the compensated damages.
One category concerns the damage done to the claimant’s vehicle. When necessary, the release’s information could spell out the fact that the claimant’s car was a total loss. At other times, it could state the amount of money spent on repairs.
Injury lawyer in Lethbridge knows that a second category deals with the special damages. The term “special” refers to the medical expenses, the lost income and any calculated loss. For instance, if a loved one had died as a result of the accident, then the financial consequences from that death would represent a calculated loss.
In the third of the 3 categories, the term “general” refers to any damage that has caused pain or suffering. Suffering refers to the need to deal with a condition or situation that was created by the injury’s existence. Sleeplessness and phobia are two examples of conditions that could be caused by involvement in an accident.
Situations that arise as a result of an injury’s existence usually illustrate the effect of a disability of a disfigurement. For example, someone that has lost a leg would need to depend on crutches or a wheelchair. The same person might need to make changes in the home, such as placing a ramp over stairs to the front door.
Paralysis could affect a variety of body functions. It might make the victim/claimant dependent on utilization of special equipment, for purposes of eliminating body wastes. The degree to which such a situation affects everyday life underlines the extent of the damage.