Proving liability is a must if you want to succeed on your personal injury claim. But even if you successfully prove negligence and causation, your lawsuit won’t mean much if you don’t adequately prove the extent of your damages. With that in mind, you need to ensure that you’re approaching your personal injury claim in a way that fully protects your ability to recover compensation.
How to prove your damages
To start, you have to realize that there are two types of damages: economic and noneconomic. Economic damages are those losses that involve money, such as lost wages and medical expenses. These losses are easier to calculate than noneconomic damages because noneconomic damages involve intangible things like your pain and suffering and mental anguish. To prove both damages, though, you may want to think about taking the following steps:
- Seek the medical treatment that is recommended by your medical professionals to ensure that you obtain as full of a recovery as possible and have documented the care that you need and have received.
- Obtain pertinent records such as tax returns, medical records, and pay stubs.
- Keep track of all expenses that you incur related to your accident and your injuries.
- Talk to experts who may be able to testify on your behalf as to your need for future treatment and how your injuries have affected your ability to work and earn a living.
- Keep a journal of how your injuries have affected your ability to live a normal life, being as detailed as possible to show the true impact your injuries have had on your ability to perform certain tasks and enjoy life.
Build the comprehensive claim that you need to succeed
Although personal injury claims may seem pretty straightforward, there’s actually a lot that goes into them. That’s why it’s in your best interests to take a holistic approach that focuses on proving liability and the full extent of your damages. By doing so, you can maximize your chances of obtaining a favorable outcome and securing the resources that you need to obtain financial stability and as full of a recovery as possible.
