After suffering a serious injury, the aftermath can affect nearly every area of your life, from your physical health to your financial well-being.
Wisconsin law recognizes that injury victims face two distinct categories of losses: those with clear dollar amounts attached and those that represent the more intangible but equally real ways an injury diminishes your life. By filing a personal injury lawsuit, you can recover compensation for both these economic and non-economic damages.
Working with an experienced Milwaukee personal injury lawyer can help ensure that all aspects of your losses are accounted for and that you pursue the full compensation you deserve.
What Qualifies as Economic Damages?
Economic damages are the measurable financial losses you incur due to your injury. These damages have specific dollar amounts that can be calculated using receipts, bills, pay stubs, and other documentation.
Wisconsin courts allow you to recover compensation for both past economic losses that you have already experienced and future economic damages you will likely face due to your injury.
Economic damages typically include:
- Medical expenses — hospital bills, surgery costs, prescription medications, physical therapy, and ongoing treatment
- Lost wages — income you’ve missed due to time off work for recovery and medical appointments
- Reduced earning capacity — diminished ability to earn the same income you made before your injury
- Property damage — repair or replacement costs for vehicles, personal belongings, or other damaged property
- Out-of-pocket expenses — transportation to medical appointments, home modifications for accessibility, or hiring help for daily tasks
What Are Non-Economic Damages?
Non-economic damages compensate you for losses that do not have clear price tags but impact your quality of life. Wisconsin law allows you to seek compensation for the physical pain, emotional distress, and life limitations your injury has caused.
Common non-economic damages include:
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement or scarring
- Chronic pain
- Depression and anxiety
- Permanent disability
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
Calculating Your Total Compensation in a Wisconsin Injury Claim
Economic damages are relatively straightforward to calculate. You add up all medical expenses, property damage, and lost income, leveraging receipts, pay stubs, employment records, and other documents.
For future costs, medical professionals and economists can provide detailed projections about ongoing treatment needs and how your injury will affect your earning capacity over time.
Non-economic damages are more difficult to determine and there is no fixed formula by which to assign a dollar value to your claim. The finder of fact, typically a jury, must consider the extent your injuries have impaired or will impair your ability to enjoy the normal activities, pleasures, and benefits of life, the nature of your injuries, and the effect the injuries are reasonably certain to have on your life in the future, taking into consideration your age, prior mental and physical conditions, and the probable duration of our life.
After taking all of these factors into account, a dollar value will be awarded that represents the sum of money that will fairly and reasonably compensate you for the effects your injuries have had and will continue to have on your life.
Maximize Your Settlement or Verdict with a Personal Lawyer
Understanding the full spectrum of damages available in your personal injury case is key to securing fair compensation, from economic losses to non-economic pain and suffering. A Wisconsin personal injury lawyer knows how to effectively document and present both types of damages to maximize your recovery.
They leverage medical expert testimony, economic analysis, and aggressive negotiation skills so that you don’t leave money on the table. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with Cannon & Dunphy S.C. today and learn how a lawyer can properly value your personal injury claim.