If another driver caused you to suffer injuries in a car accident, they are responsible for fully compensating you for your injuries under Virginia law. This includes compensating you for your future losses. Here are the types of future compensation you should ask for in your settlement.
Importance of Future Damages to Your Recovery
If you suffered serious injuries, such as a traumatic brain injury, back and spinal injuries, or scars and disfigurement, you could need medical treatment for years after your accident. In addition, you could be off work with no wages for months or longer while you recover. Obtaining the future compensation you are entitled to in your settlement is essential so that you can afford the medical care you need and can support your family and you when you cannot work.
Types of Future Compensation You Can Recover
You need to wait until you reach your maximum medical recovery to know the amount of your future damages. This is the stage in your medical care where you have recovered, or recovered as much as you will, and your doctor can give you a prognosis of the future medical treatments you will need. Types of compensation you deserve include:
- Future medical care. You should be reimbursed for all reasonable medical expenses you will incur, and there is no cap on how much you can receive. Surgeries, physical therapy, medications, diagnostic tests, modifications to your home, and home health and personal care are some of the future medical treatments you may need if you suffered a long-term injury.
- Future wage losses. If you must take off work in the future when you are having surgery or other treatments, you are entitled to be reimbursed for your lost wages. You should also receive your lost bonuses, commissions, sick and vacation time, and other perks of your job.
- Future lost earning capacity. If you suffer a permanent injury, you may be too disabled to work or need to make a career change to a job that pays you less. You should receive your future lost earning capacity throughout your working life in your settlement. You may need an economic expert to calculate how much money you are owed.
- Future pain and suffering. Depending on your injuries, you could suffer from chronic pain, depression and other psychological conditions due to the life changes that your injuries caused and experience a much less satisfying quality of life. An experienced car accident attorney can accurately value how much you should receive for your future pain and suffering.
If you or a family member suffered an injury in a car accident, our experienced car accident lawyers are here to aggressively fight for all the compensation—including future damages—that you deserve. To find out about your options and our track record of success helping other clients like you, call our Norfolk office to schedule your free consultation today.
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