What Are Future Damages in Personal Injury?

When you are hurt because someone else was negligent, not only can you receive damages for past expenses as well as pain and suffering, but you also might be eligible for future damages. In Pennsylvania, future damages are expenses you can expect to occur in the future because of your injury. In addition, you can expect to be compensated for the earnings you would have had but can no longer receive because you cannot work or your earning capacity has been damaged by your physical limitations and emotional suffering.

Calculating Future Damages

Determining future damages is more complicated than past damages, since we have to prove what you could have earned had you not been injured, as well as what you will have to spend to take care of medical expenses and other related costs going forward.

Future Medical Expenses

To prove future medical expenses, your lawyer will provide an expert witness who will discuss what kind of care you will need and how much that care will cost. Medical and other care expenses can be very high. You shouldn’t have to pay such costs on your own when someone else negligently caused your injuries. Nor should you  have to deal with substandard care because you cannot afford treatment.

Future Wages

If you are no longer able to work, or your ability to work will be limited, you can be awarded money to make up for the impairment of your earning power. This is also known as the loss of future earning capacity.

Determining future wage capacity is pretty complicated, and this part of a personal injury case can result in a substantial sum of money. Given this, it is very important that your lawyer be familiar with how to properly prove what you should have earned going forward. Frequently vocational experts are necessary.