If you’ve been hurt in an auto accident, motorcycle accident, or other type of incident, you already know that costs can pile up fast. Doctor visits, hospital stays, therapy sessions, and even changes to your home or car can strain your budget. These out-of-pocket expenses are known as economic damages in a personal injury case. Unlike pain or emotional distress, you can clearly measure economic damages with bills, receipts, or pay stubs.
Below, we’ll discuss how economic damages work under Florida law, what forms they can take, and how lawyers, insurers, or courts decide on their value. By the end, you’ll have a better handle on these costs and where to turn if you need more help.
What Are Economic Damages?
Economic damages are meant to compensate you for actual financial harm caused by your accident. They aim to return you, as much as possible, to the financial state you were in before you got hurt. While money can’t undo an injury, it can lessen the financial burden you face when someone else’s negligence leads to your losses.
In Florida personal injury cases, economic damages often include:
- Medical expenses: Doctor and hospital bills, rehabilitation costs, prescription drugs, and assistive devices (like crutches or wheelchairs).
- Lost wages: Income you miss out on while recovering, as well as wages missed because of doctor appointments or other accident-related demands.
- Loss of earning capacity: If your injuries limit your ability to work as you did before, you may seek damages for future lost income.
- Property damage: Costs to repair or replace your car or other personal items damaged in the accident.
- Extra out-of-pocket costs: Travel to doctor visits, home modifications, childcare, or other expenses tied to your injuries.
Any expense you wouldn’t have if the accident never happened can fall under economic damages.
Types of Economic Damages in Florida
While most economic damages focus on medical bills or lost wages, there can be other areas people overlook.
Examples might include:
- Past and future medical care: Even if you’re still being treated, you can include upcoming surgeries, physical therapy, and mental health services. A doctor or specialist can help estimate these future costs.
- Vocational rehabilitation: If your injury stops you from doing your old job, you might need new training. The cost of learning different work skills can add to economic damages.
- Household services: Maybe you need help cleaning your home, cooking meals, or doing yard work because of your injuries. These extra services can add up.
- Transportation needs: You could face costs for rideshares, taxis, or modifications to your vehicle if you’re temporarily or permanently disabled.
Keeping track of everything from big medical procedures to small daily expenses can boost your claim’s accuracy. It also shows insurance companies or courts the full extent of how the accident hurt you financially.
How Economic Damages Are Calculated
Economic damages are usually more straightforward than non-economic ones because they come from bills and pay stubs. However, some costs, like future medical treatments or lost earning capacity, can be trickier to figure out.
Here are a few methods:
- Bills and receipts: You show direct proof of what you’ve already paid or owed for medical treatment and property repairs.
- Expert opinions: Doctors or financial experts can predict future expenses or how much work you’ll miss. They might also estimate the income you would have earned if you hadn’t been injured.
- Comparisons: In some cases, insurance adjusters look at people with similar injuries to gauge typical treatment costs or lost income.
Because no two injuries are exactly the same, every case is unique. A strong paper trail and professional evaluations often make a big difference in recovering the full amount you deserve.
Comparative Fault Laws in Florida
Florida follows a modified comparative fault system with a 51% bar. That means if you share some blame for the accident, your total economic damages can be reduced by your share of responsibility.
For example, if a judge or jury decides you’re 10% at fault, your award might be reduced by 10%. If you are found 51% or more responsible, you cannot recover damages from the other party. However, you can still file a claim with your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance if applicable.
A skilled lawyer can gather evidence to show the other party’s wrongdoing caused your losses—or at least that you weren’t the one primarily at fault. The less blame assigned to you, the more economic damages you can recover.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation
Handling the costs of an accident can be complicated, especially when future expenses or partial fault are in play. But you don’t have to figure it all out alone. A knowledgeable Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney can help you track every dollar owed.
If you’ve been injured in Florida and face hefty bills or lost income, contact a lawyer from Workman Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers at (954) 361-3997 as soon as possible. We provide free consultations and only charge fees if we win your case.
