What Are Future Damages In A Personal Injury Case?
When an individual sustains a broken bone or is faced with another significant injury, the road to recovery can be long, and in some instances, it can even be indefinite. In personal injury cases that involve these sorts of injuries, future damages are often a topic of conversation. If you were injured in an accident that comes along with a long or extensive treatment plan, learn more about what future damages are and how they can impact your case.
Future Damages
It is important to first understand what future damages are. In short, these are damages that the accident victim will incur, but has not yet incurred, as a result of their injuries. The reason that these damages can be included within the original claim is that they are thought to be expenses that are the direct result of the injury that the victim sustained.
Medical Treatment
The most common type of future damage compensation is expenses for medical treatment. The cost of future therapy, medical procedures and prescriptions, and medical equipment all go into account for this expense. To calculate the value for these damages, you must have complete medical records that detail your treatment needs and plan going forward. Based on this information, an estimate is calculated based on your projected expenses.
Loss of Wages
Another common future damage is lost wages. Someone who has an injury that either prevents them from working altogether or limits their ability to work as many hours as they did in the past or to perform the type of work they did before the incident can claim this type of damage. Future damages for lost income are generally calculated based on the amount of money the victim earned before the accident, which is then multiplied based on the period in which this loss will occur.
Claim Payment Processes
Future damages can be included in the initial settlement, but compensation for these expenses is not always paid upfront. For example, if the individual is being compensated for a surgical procedure they need to have in 2 years, the settlement agreement might dictate that the payment for this procedure is not rendered until the procedure has been completed. How your payments are structured will largely impact your situation, so it is best to sit down with an attorney and determine what course of action is best for your future damages.
Every situation is different, so what future damages look like in your claim can vary greatly from those of someone else. Contact a personal injury attorney to learn more.
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