There are two types of damages you can be compensated for when you pursue a personal injury claim. General damages are a little more complex than special damages, which are the immediate damages incurred, medical, out of pocket, property damage, and loss wages. General damages consist of the more emotional losses and mental suffering, as a personal injury lawyer in Atlanta,GA like one at The Lynch Law Group can explain. General damages must be felt by emotion because they cannot exactly be seen. There are no paper trails for general damages as this consists of pain and suffering, emotional distress, or loss of enjoyment of life.
Pain and suffering may be the easiest to prove with general damages. The longevity of your recovery stage from a personal injury incident plays a huge role. Having to change your life pattern dramatically because of your injuries, constantly going to physical therapy, not being able to get to and from like you used to are all changes which can lead to depression, and are heavy burdens to bear. You are likely to receive more compensation because of the time it takes to recover, or get as close to normal as possible.
Being involved in an auto accident that has changed your life in some way can weigh heavily on you, so you may not be able to drive for a while out of fear of being involved in another accident. You may suffer from anxiety, and not like you’ve ever experienced. Mental health issues from emotional distress may arise as a result, constant trauma and nightmares. Speaking with a medical professional can help you get better, but when they see how the accident affected you emotionally, they can attest to your deserving compensation for emotional distress due to its severity.
Life changes a lot because of your accident. You may no longer be able to participate in certain activities that may have meant a lot for you. While there is no price you can put on the loss of enjoyment of life, showing the court or insurance companies how different your life has become socially, this will help an insurance adjuster understand the burdens caused by their insured.
While it is harder to prove general damages, you do not need to do it alone. Speak with a skilled personal injury attorney that can witness and understand what you are going through, and help you prove to an adjuster or jury that due to this accident, your life is not the same, and you deserve what you are demanding.
