If you have recently been in a car accident and feel overwhelmed by the number of damages you have received to your vehicle, body, and personal property, know that they all have the potential to be recovered with a Chattanooga car wreck attorney on your side. Chattanooga car accident damages have the potential to be severe, but you do not have to face them all alone. Read the information below to learn more about what kinds of damages could be recoverable to you under Tennessee law, as well as the benefits of reaching out to a skilled lawyer today.
Economic vs. non-Economic Damages
Economic damages from a car accident can be defined as medical bills, lost wages, property damage claims to the vehicle involved, or any personal property that was destroyed in the car wreck such as a cell phone. Economic damages also include lost future income. This could be how much money an individual could have earned in the future had they not been in an accident, how much they will be earning in the future in their injured capacity if their injury is permanent, and how much loss of an ability to earn a living in the future now exists.
Non-economic Chattanooga car accident damages are the damages impacting an individual’s life that writing a check cannot replace. Non-economic damages can be defined as mental damages that an individual suffers after receiving significant injuries, such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, fear, worry, and humiliation.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are Chattanooga car accident damages designed to punish the driver who caused the collision. If a driver is acting recklessly (or acting in what the law calls a wanton disregard for the safety of others, which is a higher level of negligence), they may be punished as an example to show others that this type of behavior cannot be tolerated. If drivers engage in this type of behavior, they not only have to pay for the damage they caused but will also have to pay exemplary damages as punishment.
Recoverable Damages
After a car accident case in Chattanooga, an individual can potentially recover all economic damages, non-economic damages, and sometimes punitive damages. That means drivers can potentially recover for all of their medical expenses, mileage to and from their doctors’ appointments, their loss of income at work, or future medical expenses if they will need continued treatment. Drivers can also recover money if they lose part of their ability to earn a living, e.g., if their mobility has been limited to the point that they have lost some of their earning capacity. They can also recover non-economic damages. If the defendant acted with recklessness or wanton disregard for the safety of others, the injured driver can even recover punitive damages on top of their economic and non-economic damages as punishment for their actions.
Auto Insurance Coverage for Chattanooga Car Accident Damages
Auto insurance typically covers property damage, economic damages, and non-economic damages. This includes the damage to the individual’s car and any other property that might have been destroyed. Auto insurance also typically covers the individual’s medical expenses, their lost income, their lost future income, their future medical expenses, pain and suffering, and mental anguish damages. Typically car insurance will not cover punitive damages.
Contact a Chattanooga Car Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one have received serious Chattanooga car accident damages, consider reaching out to a dedicated Tennessee collision lawyer as soon as possible. With the help of an attorney, a thorough investigation can take place at the very beginning of your case, you can receive consultation and advice about medical treatment and medical providers, and all of your necessary evidence and documentation can be gathered in a timely fashion. Contact a professional Chattanooga car accident attorney today to gain a significant advocate who can face the insurance company of the responsible driver to try to negotiate your pre-court settlement.
