What are special damages in a car accident case?

Auto accident settlement accounts may include both general and special damages. In each car accident, the person liable for the damage may be required to pay, or his or her insurance may be required to pay, the damages of the non-responsible party. In order for the responsible party to know what amount of money must be paid, a clearly outlined list of all damages is provided.

Understanding Damages

With the aid of an attorney, document all damages incurred during or as a result of the accident you are involved in. Special damages are those damages easily quantified. The following are examples of special damages:

• Medical bills
• Repairs to vehicles or other property
• Replacement of property as necessary
• Loss of wages due to hospital, medical or other reasons directly related to the car accident

The term special damages does not apply to those type of damages not easily quantifiable, such as pain and suffering. These damages may take years to fully surface, such as loss of the ability to use a limb resulting in being unable to maintain employment or the loss of other factors affecting quality of life.

Work with an attorney to determine which special damages apply in your situation. Any easily quantifiable, or damage that is possible to put a price tag on  qualifies as this type of specific damage. When filing for any settlement, both general and special damages should be taken into consideration carefully to ensure the injured party is fully reimbursed for his or her damages.