Injuries caused by the negligence of a doctor or other medical professional often result in many damages. There are three main types of damages known as economic, non-economic, and punitive damages that might be available in a medical malpractice case.
Economic damages come in a variety of categories starting with medical expenses related to the incident, both past, and future. Depending on the facts of your particular case, you may be facing significant medical expenses for the rest of your life due to the injury inflicted by someone else. You deserve to be compensated for not only the money you have spent recovering but for the costs of maintaining your wellbeing.
The other primary type of economic damages is lost wages and earning capacity. One of the most important economic damages for St. Petersburg medical malpractice claims, pursuing compensation for these losses may require calling in experts. It is likely that you missed work while you were recovering from your injury and you may be unable to meet financial obligations due to the loss of your paycheck at that time. Additionally, if your injury would affect your ability to do your job moving forward, you may be entitled to the money you might have earned if you were not injured.
Calculating Economic Damages in St. Petersburg
Economic damages are calculated by analyzing what the past medical expenses add up to minus any health insurance reductions or write-offs. Lost wages will be calculated based upon what the client had earned in the past, typically by looking at tax returns or W-2s compared to the money that the victim was able to work for during recovery. Any reduction in earnings from before the injury versus what a person is earning currently would be the basis for the past valuation of lost wages.
Determining Future Medical Expenses
The future medical expenses are typically a consideration of what the person’s probable medical needs will be in the future related to the incident as determined by an expert. Medical expenses are typically determined from the date the person is injured until whatever the life expectancy would be according to the US Department of Vital Statistics Life Expectancy tables for a person of similar demographics.
Evaluating Lost Wages
The future lost earning capacity is typically determined by a vocational rehabilitation expert taking what a person would be likely to earn over their lifetime had they not been injured, including raises and increases of benefits from the time they were injured until the typical age of retirement. Assessors take the date the person was injured and note how many years are to come until somebody is 65. They must then try to factor in what they would have earned over that period and if they are not working at all, that loss would be totaled and that would be the valuation of the loss of future earning capacity.
Typically, the future numbers are based on the loss of earning capacity side. They are based upon the date of injury through a person’s typical retirement age of 65, and that would be the period of time they could recover for lost wages.
How an Attorney Could Help Pursue Economic Damages
Economic damages represent the real costs that you are facing in the wake of your medical malpractice injury. The medical professional responsible for harming you may have taken away from your ability to earn money during recuperation and in the future as well as requiring you to pay for continuing medical care. If you are facing pressure from these mounting bills, an experienced attorney may be able to help you seek economic damages in your St. Petersburg medical malpractice claim. Call today to schedule a meeting to discuss what you might be owed.
