If you are injured because of an accident or another party’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. Damages compensate you for the losses and harm caused by the other party’s wrongdoing. The two types of damages in a personal injury case are economic damages and non-economic damages.
Non-economic damages compensate you for the pain and suffering you endure because of your injuries and mental trauma. Economic damages reimburse you for monetary losses, such as lost wages and medical bills.
An often overlooked category of economic damages is out-of-pocket expenses. Understanding these expenses can help you document your losses to maximize the amount you receive for your personal injury claim.
Examples of Out-of-Pocket Expenses in a Georgia Personal Injury Case
Medical bills and lost wages are two of the most common economic damages claimed by injured parties. However, you may experience losses that do not fall into these categories. Those losses are your out-of-pocket expenses.
Examples of out-of-pocket expenses include:
Expenses Related to Your Injuries
You may incur substantial medical bills to treat your injuries. However, you may also incur expenses other than bills for doctors, hospitals, and therapists. Examples of the costs you may incur related to your injuries include:
- Co-pays for medical visits
- Travel to and from medical appointments
- Over-the-counter medications
- Prescription medications
- Medical supplies and equipment, including bandages, crutches, wheelchairs, bedside toilets, etc.
- Parking fees and expenses at medical appointments
- Costs of modifying your home or car for a permanent impairment or disability
You must prove that you incurred these expenses to claim them as part of your damages. Therefore, keeping detailed records is essential. Keep copies of bills, invoices, and receipts. Make notations to explain the expenses if it is unclear why you had to pay the amount from the receipts and bills.
Personal Care and Cost of Services
Your injuries may prevent you from performing certain activities and tasks. You may be required to hire someone to assist you with your personal care and household services. Examples of out-of-pocket expenses that fall into this category include:
- The cost of an aid to help you with personal care and activities of daily living, such as bathing, grooming, dressing, etc.
- Someone to perform household chores
- In-home skilled care
- The cost of someone to assist with childcare
- Assistance with cooking and food preparation
As with medical expenses, you must keep detailed records to prove you incurred the expense. In addition to proving you incurred these expenses, you must prove the expense was necessary and reasonable.
How Do I Prove a Claim for Out-of-Pocket Expenses?
In addition to submitting proof of the total of your out-of-pocket expenses, you must prove that the expenses were directly related to your injuries and were necessary and reasonable.
Causation
Proving causation is a key element in a personal injury claim. You must prove that the other party’s actions directly and proximately led to your injuries.
For example, suppose a driver ran a red light and collided with your vehicle, resulting in several injuries, including a broken leg, a back injury, and a head injury. The cause of the accident was the other driver’s failure to yield the right of way. Had it not been for the driver’s actions, the accident would not have occurred, and you would not have been injured. In this case, your damages are a direct result of the driver’s negligence.
Necessary Expenses
Your out-of-pocket expenses must be necessary. For example, let’s say that your broken leg (from an accident) prevents you from driving your car. As a result, you must pay for rides to medical appointments. Proving that an expense is necessary often requires your doctor to explain how your injury prevents you from performing a specific task or requires a specific item.
Reasonable Expenses
An expense is reasonable if you do not overpay for the item or service. You are not required always to choose the cheapest option. The option you choose should be the best alternative for your situation while being cost-effective. Therefore, you may need to check prices from several sources to ensure you do not overpay.
Another example would be your travel expenses to the doctor’s office. If your injuries make it difficult to take a city bus, you may have to hire an Uber driver if you don’t have any family members or friends who can take you. However, booking a limo would be considered an unreasonable expense.
Reach out to Guardian Accident & Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation.