What Can I Include in My Car Accident Claim?

A car accident can seriously affect someone’s life. Even collisions that would be considered “minor” can have an impact on the wellbeing of the victim. That’s why you should always reach out to a St. Louis car accident lawyer and file a claim for compensation with their help.

You may be wondering, what will the claim cover exactly? Here is what you can include in your car accident claim, depending on the circumstances of the event.

Property Damage

Most of the time, your car will get damaged because of the collision. You can generally include the car repairs in your claim and the expenses that come from renting another car or having to take another means of transportation for your daily matters. If your car got totaled damage from the accident, the amount that you will get for property damage will be calculated using the actual cash value of the car – or how much it was worth on the market before the accident.

To sustain your property damage claim, you must provide bills from the car service, car rental and other documents that show how the accident affected your daily life.

Personal Injuries – Diagnosis and Treatment

If the accident has caused injuries or worsened certain conditions you already had, you are getting entitled to compensation for the necessary medical treatments and evaluations. It’s very important to go to the doctor for an evaluation, even if you think there are no injuries, as some of them are not identified immediately after the accident. The value of your claim will depend on how serious your injuries are and will be based on the medical documents you can present.

Pain and Suffering

Non-economic damages are usually referred to as “pain and suffering”, and they include the discomfort, distress and physical pain that is directly caused by the accident itself, the medical treatment you will go through and the social factors affected by the accident.

There is no clear formula to calculate the pain and suffering in a car accident claim, and usually, it is translated in a multiplying factor of your total claim. Insurance companies will usually offer a minimum “pain and suffering” compensation of a few hundred dollars, but you can ask for more, as long as you support your claim with clear evidence or witness reports.

Lost Wages

A car accident can make you lose hours and days of work, or even leave you with a disability that decreases your productivity or doesn’t allow you to work at all. In these cases, your lost wages should be covered by the car accident claim. The factors that will influence the value of your claim for lost wages are the amount you used to earn before the accident, the severity of your injuries, your age, skill, and experience.

These are the main expenses that should be included in your car accident claim, and an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer will understand how to help you get the full amount of compensation you are legally entitled to.