What can I claim as Damages?

The damages that can be claimed in a Virginia personal injury matter are a combination of economic and non-economic losses. 

Economic losses are things such as your medical bills and your lost wages which have a clear dollar value.  In a permanent injury situation, they would include any provable future medical bills or loss of earning capacity. 

In terms of non-economic damages, we are talking about things that do not have a clear preset dollar value, such a pain and suffering, anguish, disfigurement or deformity, inconvenience, and loss of quality of life.  Virginia does not recognize loss of consortium, which is a separate claim for damages of the spouse of an injured person. 

 I often describe what you are allowed to claim as saying that the Defendant and their insurance company are responsible for everything that has happened to you caused by the accident from the time it happened until whenever the case is resolved, including any future events that are reasonably expected to occur.

*Property damage to the car is usually taken care of within the first 7-10 days, so we will not touch on that subject here.  Please feel free to call our office if you have any questions regarding the property settlement offer.