Colorado Car Accidents: Putting a Value on Your Injuries

There are two kinds of damages in a personal injury accident: economic and noneconomic. Economic damages are easier for juries to determine because they’re more concrete – things like medical expenses and lost wages. There’s plenty of information available to go on, such as medical bills and check stubs. But it gets a little harder for juries to decide on noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish and loss of consortium.

While noneconomic damages – pain and suffering – are very real, they’re harder for a jury to determine. That’s why at The Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya, our Denver car accident attorneys know how important it is to document in your medical records how you’ve suffered and how your relationship with your family has suffered.

To make noneconomic damages more concrete, we ask our clients to think of their lives in terms of the daily activities they take part in, both inside and outside their home, and how they have changed since their car accident. Activities inside your home include preparing food, eating, bathing and sleeping. Outside activities may include driving, working, riding your bike and working in your garden. To extent any of these – and more – have been affected, write them down and tell your doctor at every visit. That way we can make sure they’re in your medical records.

Also, it’s important for you to keep track of your thoughts, feelings and impressions of how your injuries have affected your life. Every few days make a note of how much pain you’re suffering, on a scale from 1 (little or no pain) to 10 (can barely stand the pain). And keep a journal of the anxiety, depression and mental anguish that you go through after you’ve been injured in a Denver car accident.

What you document and convey to your doctors will help a jury decide on how much money to give you for the suffering you endure because of your injuries. The jury will take into consideration what they hear from testimony and other evidence, such as your records, and use that to come up with a figure they think is fair. The better you can document your suffering, the better award a jury is likely to give you.

If you’ve been hurt in a Denver car accident, give me a call at (303) 758-4777, send me an email at DLS@dlslawfirm.com or visit us on the web at www.dlslawfirm.com. Let’s talk about your case. There’s no cost or obligation. We can help you get the money you and your family deserve for the injuries you’ve suffered. And remember: If we take your case, we don’t get paid unless you get paid.