What You Can Recover with the Help of a Decatur Lyft Accident Attorney?
When a Lyft driver acts irresponsibly, and you are hurt as a result, you are stuck with pain and your life is put on hold through no fault of your own. It is only fair that you are able to receive compensation to make up for the many impacts the accident has had on your life. A Decatur Lyft accident attorney who understands how to stand up to corporate attorneys and insurance companies effectively can make the right case to recover a full array of damages for both economic and non-economic losses, as well as punitive damages when appropriate.
What does this mean in real terms? It means that Michael M. Day Law Firm understands the numerous ways you have suffered because of the Lyft accident and the likely impact the injuries will have on your future, so we work to recover compensation for every single factor.
Compensation and More
When calculating the damages—in other words, money–that you should receive either through a settlement or after a trial in court, most of the focus will be on determining the amount you deserve as compensation for your losses. Our legal team will look at a variety of past, present, and future impacts and seek an amount of damages for each factor. We believe you deserve to be fairly compensated for all the harm caused now and needs that are likely to arise in the future. This includes factors such as medical costs and emotional distress.
Depending on the situation, we may also be able to seek a different type of damages known as punitive damages. These damages are in addition to compensatory damages. They only apply in cases where someone has acted very wrongfully.
Economic Damages
Compensation from a Lyft accident should include amounts for both economic and non-economic losses. A loss is considered an economic loss if it has a value that can be calculated based on monetary factors. For example, the value of your past medical bills is an economic loss that is easy to calculate—just add up the expenses. (This is one reason why it is so important to keep copies of all your records so that nothing is missed.)
But not all economic losses are that simple to calculate. You are likely to need additional medical care in the future, and the cost of that care is also an economic loss that you should receive compensation for. To get an accurate estimate of the cost of future medical care, a Lyft accident attorney needs to investigate many different factors, both medical and monetary. Your medical needs will include not only the cost of treatment by the doctor but also facility charges, transportation, medications, and other supplies. You may need special adaptive equipment or need to have modifications made to your home to help you function after the Lyft accident.
In addition to past and future medical care, you will have losses in earnings. Economic losses from a Lyft accident will include amounts to make up for the wages lost when you were unable to work in the past because of your physical and emotional injuries. At Michael M. Day Law Firm, we also project these types of losses forward to calculate the value of your reduced earning capacity in the future. Depending on your injuries, you may not be able to work at all, or you may be extremely restricted in what you are able to do and the duration of time you’re able to work. The amount of money you will be prevented from earning in the future is added to your economic damages.
Essentially, any harmful impact resulting from the accident that has a monetary value is considered an economic loss. In addition to medical costs and employment losses, your economic damages might include amounts for damage to your property, including your car, if you were injured while driving rather than while a passenger in the Lyft vehicle.
Non-Economic Losses
Being hit with medical bills while you’re unable to work is a major concern. But for most victims of Lyft accidents, the biggest impacts on their lives come from the intangible factors of the accident—the pain, suffering, emotional anguish, and other damage done that does not have a direct economic equivalent. Money cannot erase pain or restore the moments in life that are lost because of your injuries. But when a Decatur Lyft accident attorney recovers compensation for these non-economic losses, you can at least gain a sense of peace knowing that justice has been served and that you and your family will have the resources you need to meet the challenges of the future.
Victims of Lyft accidents are often left with long-term pain and permanent disabilities. They frequently lose the ability to enjoy activities that once made up a key part of their lives. No amount of money can make up for the heartbreak, but money is the only remedy available through our legal system. We work to recover an amount to make up for every heartache in the past, present, and future, using legal precedent to justify full compensation for each loss. Damage awards for non-economic losses are generally much, much higher than the damage amounts awarded for economic losses.
Punitive Damages
Economic and non-economic losses are provided to compensate you for the injuries you’ve suffered due to negligence in a Lyft accident. If someone involved was doing something extremely wrong, such as driving drunk on a suspended license, then a Lyft accident attorney can seek punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. These extra amounts are like a fine to punish wrongful conduct, but the money goes to you rather than to the government. In some cases, Georgia law sets a limit of $250,000 on punitive damages, but in a drunk driving situation, that cap does not apply, so the amounts can be much greater. Remember that punitive damages are added on top of damages you receive for pain, suffering, medical bills, and other losses.
Michael M. Day Law Firm Works to Get You the Maximum Compensation After a Lyft Accident
Ensuring that you receive the full amount you’re entitled to after a Lyft accident requires skill, dedication, and the knowledge of how to outmaneuver corporate legal teams. At Michael M. Day Law Firm, we know how to fight effectively to get the maximum compensation for your losses, as well as additional punitive damages when appropriate. For a free case evaluation and discussion to learn what may be possible in your case, call us at 404-480-4284 or contact us online today.