A Charleston personal injury attorney can explain that damages are often considered as “positive” or “negative.” The positive values represent the amounts that someone suffers from losing something of value. The negative values represent the bad things that happened to the individual like pain and suffering. A Charleston personal injury lawyer can also explain that there are easier damages to prove called economic damages and damages that are more difficult to prove called non-economic damages.

Calculation of Damages

In calculating damages, your Charleston personal injury attorney will likely begin the process by adding up all of the economic damages that you suffered. These damages often have some type of objective basis such as a medical bill. While your non-economic damages like pain and suffering may be the largest portion of your damages, they may be more difficult to quantify than economic damages.

Positive Economic Damages

Positive economic damages include your lost income or your lost earning capacity that you suffered as a result of the accident. These figures represent what you would have received if the accident did not occur. Property damage is also involved. The loss of credit or insurability may also be added to this computation.

Negative Economic Damages

Your Charleston personal injury lawyer can explain that negative economic costs associated with your claim include medical expenses, both past and future. They also include rehabilitation costs and home improvement costs. These damages represent amounts that you have truly lost and that you would not have incurred if the accident did not occur.

Non-economic Damages

Non-economic damages include mental anguish, pain and suffering, physical impairment, mental impairment and disfigurement. Your attorney may frame your non-economic damages as positive losses because jurors may be more likely to placing a higher value on the loss of health and well-being than on pain and suffering. Additionally, your attorney may be able to convince the jury to award damages for the loss of companionship and the enjoyment of life.

If you would like more information on how to accurately assess your damages, you may contact McCarthy Rowden & Baker by calling 800-373-6050 at your convenience.