How Are Damages Calculated in a Car Accident?

Calculate damages in a car accident by adding your total economic losses to your non-economic ones.

You can utilize a multiplier (1.5x-5x) of your economic damages to determine your non-economic losses. If you’re dealing with auto crash injuries that will affect you for a long time, use a “per diem” (daily rate) and a high multiplier to calculate your damages.  

Trust a Norwalk car accident lawyer to account for your medical bills, physical pain, lost wages, and other damages from your auto collision. Once your attorney calculates your damages from your car crash, they can help you file your claim or lawsuit and seek maximum compensation from any liable parties on your behalf. 

What Damages Are Available to You After a Car Accident?

You can recover economic and non–economic damages after an auto crash. Economic damages include money for your medical expenses, current and future loss of income, car repair or replacement costs, and other quantifiable losses. Non-economic damages are subjective. They include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress.

In certain situations, auto collision victims can receive punitive damages. A judge or jury will award these to deter the party liable for an auto crash from committing future negligent acts. To get punitive damages in your car crash case, you will have to show a judge or jury that an at-fault party was extremely negligent. 

Talk with an auto accident attorney about the value of your auto collision case. Your lawyer can teach you about Connecticut’s car accident laws and calculate your auto crash losses. On top of that, they can submit your claim or lawsuit and position you to obtain full compensation for your losses from your auto collision. 

How Are Economic Damages Calculated in a Car Accident?

Add all of your out-of-pocket financial losses together to calculate your economic damages from your car accident. Your auto accident lawyer may advise you to pursue special damages for several reasons, including:

• Medical bills: You can ask for money for your emergency room bills, hospital stays, surgery, medications, and physical therapy as you treat your accident injuries. In addition, your lawyer can use your medical records to help get compensation for ongoing medical care. 
• Diminished earning capacity: You can request compensation based on your diminished earning capacity if your auto accident injuries hamper your ability to work the job you held before your car collision. 
• Wage losses: If a spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or other injuries from your car crash prevent you from working, you can pursue money for your loss of income. 
• Car repair or replacement costs: Track what you spend to repair or replace your damaged car. By doing so, your lawyer can incorporate your auto repair or replacement costs into your compensation request.

From here, your personal injury lawyer can gather police reports, witness statements, and other evidence to help you prove liability. If your lawyer has an abundance of proof, a liable party will struggle to dispute your case, and you’ll be well-equipped to maximize your auto accident damages. 

How Are Non-Economic Damages Calculated in a Car Accident?

The multiplier method is commonly used to calculate non-economic damages for an auto collision. With this, you can multiply your total economic damages by a factor, usually ranging from 1.5 to 5, based on the severity of your injuries and their impact on your life. 

Alternatively, the per diem method allows you to assign a daily rate to your pain and suffering from your auto crash. Next, you can multiply this figure by the total number of days that you are in recovery from the incident.  

Regardless of whether you use the multiplier method or the per diem method to calculate your economic or general damages from your auto crash, it pays to have an attorney on your side as you face the aftermath of this incident.

Your attorney can help you avoid mistakes after your car accident and boost your chances of securing the compensation you need to fully recover. 

Tips to Help You Calculate Your Losses From Your Auto Crash

Speak with an auto collision lawyer if you want to file a car accident claim in Norwalk or elsewhere in Connecticut. Otherwise, if you proceed with your claim alone, you risk accepting the first car accident settlement offer you get from a liable party’s insurer. At this point, you could wind up approving an offer that doesn’t provide you with money for all your losses. 

Be open and honest with your lawyer about how your auto crash is affecting you financially. Your attorney will learn about your losses and craft an argument designed to make it clear to a judge or jury why your compensation request is warranted. 

Communicate and collaborate with your lawyer as your personal injury claim moves forward. Your attorney will keep you updated about negotiations with insurance companies and any settlement offers.

If you don’t get an offer that provides you with the compensation you deserve, you and your lawyer can present your case in a court trial. 

Meet With a Car Collision Attorney Who Will Stand Up for You

If you make mistakes as you try to calculate your damages from your auto crash, you could wind up with a lowball settlement. Thankfully, you have access to legal help. Reach out to an attorney who is tough, legitimate, and credible, and they will fight for the compensation you need for your medical expenses, physical pain, property damage, and other losses.

Skiber Law is dedicated to providing exceptional legal representation. We have recovered over $100 million in compensation for our clients. If you want help calculating your losses from your Connecticut auto collision, we’re here for you. Contact us today.