Medical expenses force the victim of a personal injury to deal with a certain level of monetary loss. At the same time, that specific injury can trigger creation of a compensable loss.

What a compensable loss is, and what it means for the victim of an accident

Some injuries affect the victim’s ability to move. Completion of certain household chores demands the ability to carry out specific movements. Victims that remain unable to make those same movements can suffer a compensable loss. Personal Injury Lawyer in Halifax knows that the same victims must make a choice. Will their needed assistance come from friends and family members, or will such assistance come from hired help? Hiring people costs money; where can a victim get such funds?

Factors determining fair compensation for a compensable loss

State laws: Some states demand presentation of the fact that the plaintiff paid a reasonable amount of money for any one delivered service. Plaintiffs that fail to provide that needed proof could get denied any reimbursement for the money that was spent on compensable services.

What are the terms in the plaintiff’s/victim’s insurance policy? Do those terms call for reimbursement of the money that has been spent on replacement services? The type of accident that caused the injury: Certain accidents have a greater tendency to cause creation of a serious injury. A minor injury seldom affects the victim’s movements.

Actions to be taken by a claimant/victim that has lost money by paying for certain replacement services

Keep a detailed and accurate record of the money spent on some person that has agreed to perform specific services.
Keep a record of the jobs performed by the person that has agreed to furnish the replacement services. Establish a reasonable value for the time donated by the provider of the needed services.
Do not overlook services performed by friends or family members. With the help of a lawyer, a claimant/victim should be able to win compensation for the time that was donated by those that volunteered their services.

Focus on being fair to all concerned

Some state laws seek to keep any claimant from requesting a large amount of money for a minimum level of services. Yet claimants should be fair to those that have volunteered their services. The legal system provides claimants with a way to reimburse such volunteers. Friends and family members should be treated fairly. The claimant’s role does not entail an estimation of the proper way to pay any particular volunteer.

That particular role should be handed to the court system. Otherwise, the proposed compensation might not be a fair one. In other words, even a temporary caregiver deserves to be compensated for his or her donation of personal time.