A motor vehicle crash is not always the fault of another party, but when it is, the innocent victims can usually hold the at-fault party financially liable for their damages. These damages will fall into two primary categories: tangible damages and intangible damages. Tangible damages are easy to calculate based on current prices for various goods and services. Intangible damages are difficult to calculate because they relate to feelings, emotions and quality of life.
The following questions may help to evaluate an accident victim’s intangible damages:
What kind of pain did you experience after you suffered your injuries? The most extreme pain related to accident injuries usually happens in the days and weeks immediately following the incident. It’s important to get a sense for the nature of this pain and the length of time it persisted following an accident.
What kind of pain continued after you healed and what kind of pain do you continue to feel today? This question helps plaintiffs express their enduring, long-term and permanent pain. This pain could stay with the victim for life and it could be another point of financial recovery.
Do you have any permanent scarring or disfigurement? Scars and disfigurement can be painful both physically and emotionally. Getting an idea about the permanent nature of these scars is important for the purposes of estimating the amount of money to claim in damages.
Depending on the case and the nature of the plaintiff’s injuries, personal injury attorneys will probably want to ask a host of additional questions to evaluate the plaintiff’s intangible damages. Our law office is available to help you estimate your potential claim for both tangible and intangible damages after a serious auto collision in Virginia.