When I’m Pursuing a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Mississippi, What Types of Damages May I Seek?

If you’ve been injured because another person or company acted carelessly, you know firsthand that while many of the costs you experienced as a result of the accident were directly measurable, such as repair bills or medical costs, some were less tangible, though still important. While it’s obvious why you would be entitled to reimbursement of those direct costs, you might not realize that you have a right for payment for other ways your life may have been made worse by a personal injury. Should you decide to pursue a claim for damages in court against the party that caused your injuries, a request for non-economic damages will likely be included. What are they, and how are they proven?

Damages can be “Economic” or “Non-Economic”

In a personal injury lawsuit, the damages you request are generally either “economic” or “non-economic.” Economic damages are the types of clearly-measurable or calculable damages which result from an injury, including lost wages from work you missed when you were hurt, expenses resulting from damaged property, costs of medical care and rehabilitation, and any lost future earning capacity caused by your injuries.

Non-economic harm won’t necessarily go away because you receive money damages, but there are nevertheless significant forms of harm to an accident victim that deserve to be compensated in some way. While non-economic damages cannot be measured as easily as economic damages, an experienced trial attorney will be able to use expert testimony, testimony from family or coworkers, evidence of your activity levels before and after an accident, and other persuasive evidence to show the ways in which the injuring accident has diminished your quality of life. Forms of non-economic damages you may be able to recover in Mississippi include:

• Mental anguish: recoverable when an accident caused the victim to experience serious emotional trauma and distress
• Pain and suffering: damages available after an accident that was either painful at the time, and/or caused long-term chronic pain going forward
• Loss of consortium: damages available to the spouse of an accident victim who was rendered unable to be physically intimate with a spouse or provide the household and emotional support roles of a spouse
• Disfigurement: available to an accident victim who experienced severe visible scarring or disfigurement which causes anguish to the victim.

If you have been hurt in an accident in Mississippi, ensure that you receive all compensation to which you’re entitled after an accident. Consult with knowledgeable and dedicated Biloxi personal injury attorney Corban Gunn on your claims by calling 228.284.6805.