Recovering Damages From a Fairfax Car Accident Case

If you are injured in an auto accident in Fairfax, Virginia and are interested in filing an injury claim, the following is information you should know regarding the different types of damages you can be awarded and whether there is a cap on the amount of money you can recieve. To discuss the specifics of your case and how each type of damage relates to your claim, call and schedule a consultation with a Fairfax car accident lawyer today.

What Damages Can You Recover After a Car Accident in Fairfax?

Just as in the other areas of Virginia, in Fairfax there are three types of damages you can receive, which are:

• Economic Damages
• Non-Economic Damages
• and Punitive Damages

Economic Damages

Economic damages include your medical expenses, loss of income, and other financial expenses that are quantitative. In the case of medical expenses, you can be compensated for any medical bills and medical devices, such as if you need a back brace or a wheelchair. Loss of income on the other hand, is the the lost wages that you missed from work due to your injury or the loss of your earning capacity in the case of permanent injury.

Non-Economic Damages

You can also be compensated for your non-economic damages which are the things that now interfere with your daily life, also known as “pain and suffering”. However, beyond that, it’s not just the pain that you feel and the emotional damages that flow therefrom.  It also includes the disruption of your daily routine, inability to exercise, inability to engage in certain recreation or hobby activities that you like to do. It can also be things like your activities around the house, cleaning the house, getting dressed, taking a shower, or things that we just take for granted because we do them on a daily basis, but that can really be interfered with because of the serious injury. You can be compensated for all of those things.

Punitive Damages

Additionally, if the other driver was drunk or engaged in particularly egregious behavior there is a potential for punitive damages. If a plaintiff can show that the behavior of the other driver was willful or wanton and so it exhibits such a disregard for the well being of others, there may be a potential for punitive damages if filed. However, these are uncommon especially in motor vehicle accidents.

Caps On Damages in Fairfax Car Accident Cases?

There’s nothing specific to Fairfax, but Virginia does have a limit on punitive damages and that’s $350,000. So, in all actions in Virginia, punitive damages cannot exceed $350,000, but that’s the only cap that will be applicable to a car accident case in most instances. If a county or state vehicle was involved in the collision then there may be a cap on damages in such a situation as well.