If you have recently suffered an accident, you may be thinking about filing a personal injury lawsuit. Before you do, it would be wise for you to weigh the cost against the potential compensation you could receive upon winning your case. There are several different factors that determine how much you could receive in recompense for your accident. These factors include but are not limited to the following.

Medical Bills

Potentially, the most generic type of damages you can receive is money to pay for the medical bills which your accident has incurred. This can also include any future medical bills that you may end up footing.

Property Damages

Property damages cover any material item that was damaged as a result of your accident. For example, if you were wearing your very best clothes on your way to church when you fell and ripped your dress as the result of someone's negligence, the cost of your clothing could be recoverable.

Loss of Income

If you are injured to the point where you can no longer work, you are likely entitled to compensation for loss of income. This is a very useful type of compensatory damage since it can sometimes take a great deal of time in order to heal from an accident. This way you and your family will be able to stay afloat in the process.

Emotional Distress

Emotional distress is sometimes found in the aftermath of a serious accident. For example, if you were bitten by a dog, you may develop a fear of dogs. This distress may stay with you for years to come as a direct effect of your accident. For this reason, you may be able to be compensated for it. To go along with this example, if you had a fear of dogs before your accident, you would likely not be able to prove emotional distress in your case.

Pain and Suffering

Both mental and physical pain and suffering can be compensated for, but either one can be a challenge to prove. In order to be awarded pain and suffering compensation, you must be able to prove your distress. Testimonies are often invaluable.

In conclusion, instead of limiting yourself to just your medical bills, really think about how your accident will affect your life. There are even more types of damages, some which include accidents that alter relationships and or that affect one's sense of joy. If you are going to get compensation for an accident, it should be for all of the ways you are affected.

For more information, contact a lawyer like James Lee Katz.