When another party causes an injury because of negligence, intentional torts, or other wrongful acts, Texas personal injury laws provide for compensation of damages. Damages represent a monetary award paid to you by the party who caused your injury.
Non-economic damages represent intangible damages. These damages refer to the pain and suffering caused by the accident and personal injuries.
You can receive non-economic damages for all types of personal injury cases, including but not limited to:
- Car accidents
- Slips and falls
- Defective products
- Workplace accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Premises liability
- And many other situations
Non-economic damages can be more challenging to prove because there is no bill or invoice proving you suffered the harm or what the harm is worth. However, understanding the types of non-economic damages you could recover can be helpful when documenting damages for your personal injury claim.
Types of Non-Economic Damages in Laredo Personal Injury Cases
Common types of non-economic damages in a personal injury case include:
Emotional Distress and Mental Anguish
The trauma of being involved in an accident and sustaining injuries can cause severe emotional distress. Additionally, the ordeal of medical treatments and recovery can cause emotional and mental suffering. If a person sustains disfigurements or permanent impairments, they might struggle with the changes to their life.
Examples of emotional distress and mental anguish include, but are not limited to:
- Anxiety
- Chronic depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Night terrors
- Pain attacks
- Sleeping disorders
- Anger and frustration
- Eating disorders
- Suicidal thoughts
- Embarrassment or distress about scarring, disfigurements, or disabilities
A person might require extensive counseling and therapy for psychological conditions after a personal injury or accident. Writing down how your injuries impact your emotional state can help your lawyer prepare a strong case for maximum compensation for non-economic damages.
Physical Pain, Suffering, and Agony
Your injuries can cause significant and chronic pain. The medical treatments for your injuries can also cause agony and suffering. Common injuries sustained by victims in personal injury cases include:
- Back injuries
- Fractures and broken bones
- Neck injuries and whiplash
- Soft tissue injuries
- Amputations and loss of limbs
- Nerve damage
- Crushing injuries
- Paralysis and spinal cord injuries
- Puncture wounds, lacerations, and abrasions
- Hearing and vision loss
- Internal organ damage
- Traumatic brain injury, concussions, skull fractures, and other head injuries
All injuries can cause pain. The pain level a person experiences depends on the type of injury, the severity of the injury, and the person. You deserve compensation for your pain and suffering regardless of whether you sustain a minor or catastrophic injury.
Scarring, Disabilities, Impairments, and Disfigurement
Some accident injuries can cause significant scarring and disfigurement. Injuries can also cause permanent impairments and disabilities. You can recover compensation for the life-altering changes these types of injuries cause.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life and Diminished Quality of Life
These damages can be temporary while you heal from your injuries. However, these damages can also be lifelong if you sustain permanent conditions. Loss of enjoyment of life and a diminished quality of life refers to several things, including:
- Your ability to return to work
- Activities that you can no longer enjoy
- The impact on your relationships with family and friends
- The inability to care for your personal needs
- Not being able to care for or play with your children
- Inability to conceive children
- Changes in your standard of living
Your Laredo personal injury lawyer uses evidence from medical experts to help prove how your injuries impact your life. Testimony from family and friends and your personal testimony are also used to convey how your injury and accident impacted your overall quality of life.
How Do You Calculate the Value of Non-Economic Damages for a Texas Personal Injury Case?
Putting a price on pain and suffering damages in a personal injury case is challenging. Each person’s suffering is unique. Moreover, there is no statutory formula in Texas for calculating non-economic damages.
Therefore, many sources use the multiplier method to calculate the value of non-economic damages. With this method, the parties agree on a number between 1.5 and five. Then, the number is multiplied by the total economic damages (i.e., lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, medical bills, etc.). The result is the value of the non-economic damages.
The multiplier is chosen by examining the factors of the case. Factors that impact the value of damages include, but are not limited to:
- The type of injuries you sustain
- Whether you could be partially at fault for the cause of your injury
- The severity of your injuries, including whether you have permanent impairments
- The type of medical treatment required for your injuries
- The need for extensive rehabilitative therapy
- Whether you can return to work
- How the injuries impact your personal relationships with friends and family members
- The impact your injuries have on your daily life and quality of life
Insurance companies fight to keep the multiplier low. They downplay pain and suffering damages. Our Laredo personal injury attorneys understand how to build a case highlighting the full extent of your suffering.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation with Our Laredo Personal Injury Lawyers
Our Laredo personal injury attorneys at Roderick C. Lopez Personal Injury Lawyers fight to recover the maximum compensation for all damages. We work diligently to pursue all sources of compensation. Call our law firm today at (956) 529-7336 to schedule your free case evaluation to discuss how much your personal injury case is worth.
Roderick C. Lopez Personal Injury Lawyers
6557 Metro Court, Suite 1 Laredo, TX 78041
(956) 529-7336
