When you are injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for damages including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. However, many people are not aware that they may also be able to recover damages for lost opportunities resulting from their injuries.
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What Are Lost Opportunities?
Lost opportunities refer to any opportunities that you may have missed out on because of your injuries. These can include:
Career opportunities: If your injuries prevent you from working in your chosen field, or from advancing in your career, you may be able to recover damages for lost earning potential.
Educational opportunities: If your injuries prevent you from pursuing or completing a degree or other educational program, you may be able to recover damages for lost educational opportunities.
Personal opportunities: If your injuries prevent you from participating in hobbies, recreational activities, or travel, you may be able to recover damages for lost personal opportunities.
Proving Lost Opportunities in a Personal Injury Case
Proving lost opportunities can be more difficult than proving other damages in a personal injury case. You need to be able to demonstrate that your injuries have directly resulted in the loss of the opportunity that you are seeking compensation for.
For this reason, it is important to keep documentation of any opportunities that you have missed out on because of your injuries. This may include job offers or promotions that you had to turn down, educational programs that you had to drop out of, or travel plans that you had to cancel.
You will also need to provide evidence of your potential earning or educational capacity before your injury, as well as evidence of your current limitations and the impact that your injuries have had on your ability to pursue opportunities.
Calculating Damages for Lost Opportunities
The amount of damages that you may be able to recover for lost opportunities will depend on a number of factors, including:
- The type of opportunity that you have missed out on
- The potential value or earnings of that opportunity
- The impact of your injuries on your ability to pursue that opportunity
Calculating damages for lost opportunities can be complex and may require expert testimony from economists or vocational rehabilitation experts.
Conclusion
If you have suffered a personal injury that has prevented you from pursuing career, educational, or personal opportunities, you may be entitled to recover damages for lost opportunities in addition to other damages such as medical bills and lost wages.
Proving lost opportunities can be challenging, but with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney, you may be able to demonstrate the impact of your injuries and recover the compensation that you deserve.