Auto accidents are quite common and can end up leaving you with a lot of debt. Medical and auto repair bills can rapidly stack up, but you also might end up missing some work as a result of your injuries. There might even be some serious emotional damage to contend with as well. In order to help alleviate all of these problems, you can file a personal injury lawsuit. To help you decide if a lawsuit is right for your situation, here is an introduction to the topic:

How can an auto accident lead to a personal injury lawsuit?

When it comes to auto accidents, insurance is usually your first thought when it comes to getting your damages covered. If the other party was fully at fault, then you can generally file with their insurance company to get your damages covered. However, insurance might not be able to get you all of the money that you feel that you are owed. In those cases, a lawsuit can give you more money in exchange for a lengthier and more difficult road to compensation.

You will need to check your state's laws to see if you live in a fault or no fault state. If you live in a fault state, then a lawsuit should be a viable option. However, no fault states force you to go down the insurance route if you don't have a serious injury from the accident.

How do damages work in a auto accident lawsuit?

As was mentioned above, damages can come from medical bills, auto repair bills, lost wages, and potentially emotional suffering. There are two types of damages that you will need to think about:

Economic – This covers all of the costs mentioned above. If you can point at an exact number as the amount that you are owed, and that number objectively reflects the damage that you suffered, then it's an economic damage. For example, damage to your car is an economic damage because you can point at an exact number as the amount that you are owed. Different services might disagree on the exact number, but they will each have a specific number in mind.

Noneconomic – To contrast, non-economic damages refers to types of damage that are not easy to quantify. For example, pain and suffering are commonly cited as causes for noneconomic damages, but it's hard to put an exact number on the idea of pain. You will ask for a specific amount of money and the court will decide if that is too much, too little, or just right for your injuries. When you hear about damage caps, they often specifically pertain to this category.

To read more on this topic, visit a law firm's website.