When Does an Injury Qualify for Compensation?

No matter where you are, a serious accident can happen at any time and leave you in pain, suffering, and with significant damages to deal with. When it’s someone else’s fault, you may need compensation to handle your injuries, and you need to decide quickly, before you’re unable to recover your damages. But when does an injury qualify for compensation? There’s no clear threshold for injuries, so making sure you have a case when your injuries aren’t obviously serious is important. In cases like these, you should speak to a lawyer to determine whether your losses are great enough, but there are a few specific indicators that may help you determine what exactly you’re dealing with.

When It Causes Significant Expenses

While a life-threatening injury is more obviously a qualifier, other damages may not be so dangerous, but they may be nearly as expensive. For example, let’s suppose you work in an office and you break your wrist in an accident. While this isn’t a deadly injury, it can keep you from returning to work full-time or at all for some time if you’re unable to type or manage your daily tasks. Other injuries may require treatments that can get expensive quickly. Whiplash may not seem especially serious, but it needs to be treated to regain your full range of motion. This may include physical therapy, an expense you could pay out of pocket without personal injury compensation.

When It Causes Undue Distress

Your damages aren’t limited to the financial, however. Even small injuries can make a big difference in certain contexts, and the injury could leave you severely distressed. For example, imagine that you’re an actor or model and you’re involved in a car accident that leaves you with broken teeth or a broken nose. While these may seem relatively minor, a person who relies on his or her beauty may experience much more severe distress than someone else. Likewise, a professional athlete is much more affected by an injured leg than an office worker might be. The context of your situation will make a difference, and how your injury affects you will determine the value of your claim.

Our Team Can Help

If you’ve asked yourself whether your injuries qualify for compensation, you may need help calculating the damages and emotional toll your injuries have had on your mind and body. After all, your situation will vary, and your injuries may warrant a case where others wouldn’t. When you’re unsure whether you have a case, speak to a lawyer at Golden State Lawyers, APC. Our team is ready to help you calculate your damages, file your claim, and fight for your full compensation. Interested in our services? Our free consultations can help you get your claim on the right track. Just give us a call at 408-279-4222 or fill out our online contact form below to get started.