If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence in Dallas, Texas, you could have a legal right to compensation. Through a personal injury claim, a victim can seek payment to address their financial, physical, and emotional losses stemming from the accident.
Personal injury claimants can obtain economic and non-economic damages as part of their case. Out-of-pocket expenses are among the financial costs covered through economic damages in a personal injury claim.
Experienced Dallas personal injury attorneys know how to pursue the full range of damages an injured victim might be entitled to. This includes the out-of-pocket costs you might have experienced due to traveling for medical care, paying for supplies, booking hotels near treatment centers, and other surprise costs that hit an accident victim’s wallet.
Don’t Overlook Out-of-Pocket Expenses in a Personal Injury Claim
In a personal injury case, such as a car accident claim, most of the focus is rightfully on medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other serious losses due to the accident. But out-of-pocket expenses should never be overlooked, as they can be reimbursed and can often be significant.
Out-of-pocket expenses can vary depending on the type of accident and injuries involved. If a victim’s injuries require serious or long-lasting medical treatment, this can drive up the costs a victim and their family might encounter. For accident victims already suffering from physical pain and financial strain due to a serious accident, out-of-pocket expenses can pose a tremendous hardship.
Examples of out-of-pocket costs after an injury can include:
Expenses Connected to the Injury
On top of medical expenses, an accident victim can find themselves paying for:
- Prescription medication
- Medical supplies such as bandages, ointments, and other materials
- Over-the-counter medications
- Medical equipment such as hospital crutches, slings, braces, bedside toilets, and other accommodations required to treat injuries
- Personal care items needed to assist with daily living activities such as feeding, bathing, and dressing
When injuries are long-term or permanent, this can result in lasting costs that must be addressed. A personal injury lawyer will know when long-term out-of-pocket expenses might apply and how to obtain payment for them.
Transportation Costs
After an accident, victims are often required to attend follow-up appointments and therapy sessions. Often, they can be referred to specialists far from home. In Dallas, travel to local providers and specialists can require bus fare, taxi fare, rideshare costs, and parking costs. For those with their own vehicles, the costs of gas and wear & tear on the vehicle can add up as well.
Some serious injuries require care outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth area and even out of state. When long-distance travel, air travel, and hotel costs are involved, transportation costs can create an overwhelming financial burden. With the help of a Texas personal injury lawyer, injured victims can seek payment for these costs as well.
How to Prove Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Proving out-of-pocket costs in a personal injury claim can be difficult without detailed records. For this reason, it is crucial to keep receipts, invoices, and all documentation related to your out-of-pocket expenses. No cost is too small to keep track of for potential reimbursement later on. Insurance companies will fight hard against claims of out-of-pocket costs, knowing many victims fail to keep track of these expenses.
A personal injury attorney can help you itemize your costs and review your digital records to account for the true extent of your financial losses. You will need to prove that your out-of-pocket expenses were reasonable and necessary to your recovery in order to seek payment. Expenses deemed unnecessary or frivolous could be excluded from your claim.
Who Can Be Required to Pay Out-of-Pocket Costs?
To pursue damages in a Texas personal injury case, you’ll need to demonstrate that another party was liable for your injuries. You must prove fault or negligence by another person, business, or entity before you can recover compensation. If the at-fault party was covered by insurance for the accident, the insurance company will often be the one reimbursing you for out-of-pocket expenses.
Contact a Dallas Personal Injury Lawyer Today if You Have Questions About Out-of-Pocket Expenses
If you were injured due to an act of negligence in Dallas, Texas, you could be entitled to pursue compensation for your losses. Out-of-pocket expenses are among the costs an accident victim can claim as part of their case.
Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers can help you account for your out-of-pocket expenses and pursue reimbursement for your full range of costs resulting from an accident. Contact our Dallas personal injury attorneys today at (214) 556-8321 to learn more and set up a free consultation.