If you had been recently involved in a car crash or a personal accident injury and it was not your mistake, most likely you would have wondered what sort of compensation for the damages you should be entitled to. If somebody had an injury because of another party’s carelessness or negligence, victims can file a civil claim seeking for compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are pretty much self-explanatory. They include lost income, medical expenses, any accident-related out-of-pocket expenses. Non-economic damages are a bit more complex to understand and they include intangible damages for the quality of life lost by the victim.
Loss of quality of life is ideally another form of damage as a result of car accidents, including pain and suffering, emotional trauma, inconvenience, anguish, and discomfort which accompanies an injury. In a nutshell, the person can’t enjoy the life he or she has before the accident.
Quality of life damage claims may include any of the following:
- Physical Discomfort
- Anxiety, worry, and emotional damages
- Constant Fear and Anxiousness
- Possible Humiliation from others, especially if you lost some body parts (legs, arms, or even fingers)
- Various concerns
- Unable to engage in physical activities
- Your reputation can be damaged
- Physical Mutilation
- Deformed physical parts or deformity
- Organ loss
- Inability to enjoy life to the fullest
- Losing a companion or wife/spouse due to your physical condition
- Losing affection from your family and friends
The issues mentioned above are all intangible circumstances or situations that represent a portion of a person’s quality of life. Depending on the type of accident and the potential losses that the victim is suffering, if you have a reliable personal injury lawyer, all of the things mentioned can be included to compensate you in your accident claims.
It is very difficult to determine the exact amount of compensation on the mentioned life-quality damages claims. Also, for the person who is the victim and suffered all of the quality of life damages, it’s normal to feel that there is no amount enough to compensate for what they are going through. That’s why it’s critical that for every personal injury accident victim, there should be guidance from the best pedestrian accident lawyer who can make them understand the benefits of getting the rightful claims. While it is true that there is no amount of money that can get you back the life that you had before, it’s also important to know that there is still a life to look forward to.
Let’s talk more about the points mentioned above. Here are some reasons why car accidents and injuries can cause people to lose their quality of life:
They can’t participate in any family bonding
A father might get great pleasure from coaching his daughter’s baseball team or playing a game of catch with his son. A mother may also love to take her children to the park, throwing the frisbee around, pushing them on the swing, and see-sawing with them. If these activities cannot be pursued because of a personal injury, this creates a loss of quality of life.
Some hobbies cannot be pursued anymore
A photographer who has traveled the world to gather amazing photos of popular destinations might stop him or her from pursuing this hobby because of a serious injury. A similar loss of quality of life could be shown for scuba divers, skiers, avid hikers, joggers, spelunkers, rollerbladers, cyclists, and others who cannot pursue their passions anymore because of their personal injury.
Social life can deteriorate
Most individuals are happier when they are connected to other people socially. However, severe personal injuries can often restrict their ability to be as social as they were before the car accident happened.
Takeaway
Loss of quality of life due to accidents can result in physical and mental damages and limitations that affect a person’s ability to enjoy activities that once gave him or her the pleasure before the car crash happened. If people lose their quality of life from a car accident or injury, they deserve to receive payment for damages and compensation for injuries from those who are at fault.
About the Author Patrick Halliday
Patrick Halliday is a partner of Halliday McCall Accident Lawyers of Illinois. The opening of his own office in central Illinois was a process that started at the end of 2017 after having been a partner in a major Chicago based litigation law firm. He has been practicing law for over 15 years in the Chicago area working on high profile cases and multi-million dollar claims. Mr. Halliday has helped clients win cases on both the prosecution and defense sides of legal claims. Having experience on both sides of matters has allowed him to maximize the results for his clients’ cases. Attorney Halliday obtained his undergraduate degree at Northern Illinois University and his J.D. at DePaul University College of Law.