When you file a personal injury claim in Nova Scotia, you may be awarded damages for what you have suffered. Anytime there is loss following an accident, you can seek damages. In order to claim these damages, you must be able to prove that there was a negligent party who caused the injury, illness, or destruction of property associated with the accident in question. As part of the settlement, or compensation package, that you may receive after the personal injury claim has settled, you may receive pecuniary damages.

Pecuniary damages are a running total of damages associated with the accident, and can be clearly measured using a dollar amount of money. These can be past losses, which have already occurred, or future losses which are anticipated to occur. Among pecuniary damages may be:

  • Medical bills: If you have been injured in an accident, you should not have to pay your medical bills on your own. Your pecuniary damages may involve the cost of your hospital stay, emergency room visit, prescription medication, imaging tests, and much more. Additionally, future damages may include the cost of physical rehabilitation or further doctor visits as anticipated.
  • Costs of care: For some accident victims, their illness or injury is so severe that they cannot attend work and must stay home. However, while in the home, some injured accident victims may realize that it’s difficult to perform basic tasks and get around their home without any help. For this reason, pecuniary damages can also be extended to cover the cost of in-home health care assistance from a nurse or aide.
  • Loss of earnings: Those who are injured following an accident typically are required to stay home to properly heal their injuries. For this reason, lost wages and loss of earnings are factored into your personal injury settlement in order to maximize your recovery.
  • Property damage: If you get into a car, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, or any other kind of accident, the aftermath can be devastating in more ways than one. While many people suffer from injuries, they also suffer serious damage done to their vehicle. If your car has been totaled after an accident, you can receive a settlement for your losses. Additionally, if you lost important property from inside the vehicle, such as a laptop or another valuable, you can fight for compensation for this property damage as well.

What Are Non-Pecuniary Damages?

Non-pecuniary damages are difficult to measure by money. These can be past or future losses and may include:

  • Pain and suffering: Your anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress should not be overlooked after a bad accident. Your lawyer will fight for your right to compensation that covers the cost of your pain and suffering. 
  • Emotional distress: Just as you can be compensated for your physical pain, you can also receive non-pecuniary damages for the emotional distress you’ve experienced after the accident.
  • Decreased quality of life: When you’ve been badly injured after an accident, it’s possible that you could experience a minimized quality of life. At McKiggan Hebert Lawyers, we will fight for your right to compensation for decreased quality of life.
  • Damage to relationships: We will also ensure you are adequately compensated for any familiar or marital relationships that are damaged due to the illness or injury you sustained from your accident.

What Are Compensatory Damages?

In tort law, compensatory damages, also known as actual damages, are “damages awarded by a court equivalent to the loss a party suffered. If a party’s right was technically violated but they suffered no harm or losses, a court may instead grant nominal damages.”

How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?

The only way to know how much your personal injury case is worth is to schedule a free consultation with an accident lawyer nearby. At McKiggan Hebert Lawyers, we offer a free consultation for anyone who has been injured in an accident.

In your free consultation, we will listen intently to the details of your accident case, and will work to put together all the pertinent details to best understand what happened. The only way to get an estimate for the anticipated value of your personal injury claim is to share these details with our experts. When the day comes that you are finally offered a settlement for your case, your lawyer can even help you negotiate or renegotiate the terms of the settlement and the financial amount it includes.

Schedule Your Free Consultation with McKiggan Hebert Lawyers Today

To learn more about pecuniary and nonpecuniary damages, compensatory damages, and the other crucial components of a personal injury case or tort claim, schedule a consultation with McKiggan Hebert Lawyers.