When you’re dealing with the aftermath of an accident, the impact goes far beyond having high hospital bills and losing wages. Injuries can leave you with physical pain, emotional struggles or even lasting changes to your relationships. These types of losses are called non-economic damages. They don’t come with a receipt or a bill, but they are very real, and courts recognize them as an important part of a personal injury case.
In this guide, you’ll learn what non-economic damages are and why they matter when seeking fair compensation.
What Is an Example of Non-Economic Damages?
Non-economic damages don’t have a fixed dollar value. Because they aren’t backed by bills or receipts, they can be harder to measure. Examples help show how these damages work and why they’re an essential part of a personal injury payout.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering damages compensate you for the physical pain and ongoing discomfort caused by your injury. This includes not just the immediate pain from the accident, but also chronic pain, limitations in movement or daily discomfort that affects your quality of life. Because pain is often long-lasting and impacts everything from sleep to work to family activities, it is one of the most common forms of non-economic damages awarded in Arizona.
Emotional Distress
Emotional distress damages are intended to compensate you for the psychological impact of your injury, including the cost of ongoing fear, sadness or trauma that disrupts your daily life. Courts may look at medical records, therapy notes or expert testimony to help put a value on this type of loss.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
When your injury prevents you from enjoying hobbies, activities or experiences that once brought you joy, the law allows you to seek compensation for that loss. For example, if you loved playing sports a
car accident injury makes that impossible now, the court or insurance company may award money to recognize that change to your life.
Loss of Consortium
Injuries can put a serious strain on your closest relationships, especially with a spouse. Loss of consortium damages are designed to compensate for the loss of companionship, intimacy, affection or support that your partner experiences because of your injury.
Disfigurement or Disability
Disfigurement and disability damages compensate you for the permanent physical changes caused by your injury, such as scarring, amputations or long-term impairments. These changes can alter how you feel about yourself, how others treat you and how you interact with the world.
Can You Sue for Non-Economic Damages?
