What damages can I be compensated for in a Missouri personal injury claim?

If you’ve been injured in an accident due to another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for damages in a Missouri personal injury claim. Damages are often used to reimburse victims of negligence for their economic losses, such as medical bills and lost wages, as well as for their non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering. This article will provide an overview of the types of compensatory damages that can be sought in Missouri personal injury claims.

Types of Compensatory Damages in Missouri Personal Injury Claims

In Missouri, courts typically award compensatory damages to victims of negligence in order to compensate them for their losses. This can include both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are those that have an objectively measurable value. This includes things such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage resulting from the accident. These damages are intended to make the victim “whole again” by reimbursing them for any out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident.

Medical Bills: Victims of negligence can be awarded compensation for any medical bills incurred due to the accident, including hospital stays, doctor visits, medication costs, and physical therapy.

Lost Wages: Victims who miss work due to their injuries can be compensated for their lost wages. This includes both current and future wages if the victim is unable to return to work due to their injuries.

Property Damage: Victims of negligence can also be compensated for any property damage resulting from the accident. This includes damage done to vehicles or other personal property such as clothing or electronics.

Non-economic Damages

Non-economic damages refer to those losses that do not have a measurable monetary value, such as pain and suffering or emotional distress. These damages are more difficult to calculate than economic damages because they are subjective and depend on the individual’s experience with the accident and its aftermath. Common types of non-economic damages include:

Pain and Suffering: Pain and suffering refers to both physical pain (such as back pain or headaches) caused by the accident as well as emotional distress (such as anxiety or depression). Victims can be compensated for both past and future pain and suffering resulting from the accident.

Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Loss of enjoyment of life refers to how an injury has interfered with a person’s ability to do activities that were previously enjoyable, such as playing sports or traveling. Victims can be compensated for this type of loss if it is directly related to their injuries caused by someone else’s negligence.

Loss of Consortium: Loss of consortium refers to how an injury has impacted a person’s relationship with their spouse or close family members. Victims can be compensated for this type of loss if it is directly related to their injuries caused by someone else’s negligence.

Punitive Damages

In some cases, courts may award punitive damages in order to punish wrongdoers who have acted recklessly or with malicious intent towards victims of negligence. These types of damages are not intended to compensate victims but rather serve as a deterrent against future negligent behavior on the part of wrongdoers. Punitive damages are rarely awarded in Missouri personal injury claims but can be sought when the defendant acted particularly recklessly or maliciously towards the victim.

Conclusion

If you have been injured due to another person’s negligence in Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation in a personal injury claim. These claims typically involve compensatory damages which are meant to reimburse victims for both economic losses (such as medical bills or lost wages) and non-economic losses (such as pain and suffering). In some cases, punitive damages may also be awarded if it is determined that the defendant acted recklessly or with malicious intent towards the victim. It is important that victims understand all types of compensatory damages available so they can seek full compensation for all losses suffered due to another person’s negligence.