Understanding General and Special Damages in Personal Injury Cases

After an injury, figuring out exactly what damages you’re entitled to — and how to get what you deserve — can feel overwhelming. At Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law, we strive to cut through all the confusion and make your life easier as you navigate recovery.

Our dedicated attorneys work on a contingency fee structure, which means you owe no attorney fees unless we win your case. Essentially, we only get paid if you do.

In personal injury cases, the compensation we seek generally falls into two categories: general damages and special damages. Understanding the difference between these types of damages is key to knowing what you may be entitled to as you recover from your injury. 

Understanding Special Damages

Special damages are measurable losses. They’re the easiest damage to evaluate because hard numbers are usually available on paper (or digitally). Some examples of special damages include:

• Medical Expenses: Any medical care you needed after your accident
• Expected Medical Expenses: If you need ongoing medical care, those expenses can be categorized under special damages.
• Lost Wages: Includes any time missed from work due to your accident for medical care or recovery.
• Household Expenses: Household expenses include additional costs incurred due to your injury. For example, you hire a babysitter, housekeeper, or nursing aide because you can’t function normally.

Understanding General Damages

In personal injury claims, general damages refer to losses with no specific monetary value. Some examples of this type of damage include:

• Pain and Suffering 
• Emotional Distress 
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life 
• Forced Lifestyle Changes

General damages can be complicated because assigning value to nontangible things can be challenging.

However, that’s exactly what we specialize in. We believe that you deserve compensation for every single way that your injury has affected your life, including the mental and emotional impact.

Factors That Influence Your Compensation

Several factors impact compensation amount, including: 

• Injury severity
• Length of Recovery 
• Ability to Work
• Long-Term Lifestyle Impact

We work tirelessly to build a strong case, using medical records, expert testimony, and other resources to help secure the best possible outcome for your claim. 

Each case is unique, and compensation varies depending on your specific situation. While it’s difficult to predict the exact amount, our attorneys use every available resource to seek the maximum compensation for you. 

Personal Injury Damages in St. Louis, MO

If you’ve been hurt in a pedestrian accident, bike accident, auto accident, or another personal injury, we can help you pursue general and special damages. Call Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law today at 314-333-3333 in St. Louis or 618-888-8888 in Illinois to schedule a consultation in our office. If you’re unable to come to us, we’ll come to you!