Economic damages are one of the primary forms of compensation available in a personal injury claim. Alongside non-economic damages and punitive damages, they form the basis of your financial recovery under Georgia law.

Understanding how economic damages work can help you assess your claim’s value—and ensure you aren’t leaving money on the table.

A simple rule to remember:
If the damage has a dollar amount you can easily calculate, it is likely an economic damage.

Types of Economic Damages

Economic damages fall into four primary categories:

1. Medical Expenses

These include all payments made to healthcare providers—such as hospital bills, surgeries, physical therapy, and prescriptions. Some psychological treatment costs may be classified as non-economic, depending on the nature of the claim.

2. Lost Earnings

You can recover lost income caused by your injury, whether you're an employee or self-employed. This also includes lost sick leave, vacation time, and bonuses you would have received.

3. Out-of-Pocket Expenses

These are unplanned expenses that you paid directly due to your injury. Examples include:

• Childcare while hospitalized
• Transportation to medical appointments
• Temporary home services (e.g., cleaning or cooking)

You must show that these costs were only incurred because of your injury.

4. Future Economic Damages

These include projected future costs due to your injury, such as:

• Ongoing medical treatment
• Rehabilitation
• Reduced earning capacity

Future damages often require the support of medical experts, financial professionals, or life care planners.

Examples of Economic Damages

The following list includes common examples of economic damages you may be entitled to in a personal injury claim:

• Medical bills (past and future)
• Prescription costs
• Physical or occupational therapy
• Home health care services
• Travel expenses for medical treatment
• Cost of medical devices (e.g., wheelchair, braces)
• Property damage or replacement
• Lost wages and benefits
• Loss of business income or opportunities
• Home modifications for disability
• Vocational retraining costs
• Funeral and burial expenses (in wrongful death cases)

This list is not exhaustive. You may be overlooking recoverable damages without realizing it.

Economic Damages in Negligence-Based Claims

Most personal injury cases—such as car accidents, slip and falls, and medical malpractice—are based on negligence. To succeed in a negligence claim, you must prove:

1. Duty of care: The defendant had a legal responsibility to act with reasonable caution.
2. Breach of duty: They violated that duty.
3. Causation: Their breach directly caused your injuries.
4. Damages: You suffered economic and/or non-economic losses.

The Burden of Proof

In civil cases like personal injury lawsuits, the standard of proof is “a preponderance of the evidence.” This means showing that your claims are more likely true than not—a lower standard than in criminal trials.

You must meet this burden for each element, including your economic damages.

Proving Economic Damages

The key to recovering full compensation is solid documentation. Here are common forms of evidence:

• Medical records and itemized bills
• Photographs or videos of injuries or damage
• Receipts for out-of-pocket costs
• Employment records and pay stubs
• Tax returns (for self-employed claimants)
• Vocational assessments
• Long-term care cost projections
• Expert reports (e.g., economists, rehabilitation specialists)

A skilled attorney at Lawson Personal Injury Attorneys will help gather this evidence, coordinate expert evaluations, and ensure all eligible damages are accounted for.

Schedule a Free Consultation With a Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer

Do you know how much your case is truly worth? Many accident victims miss significant categories of economic damages—or underestimate their future costs.

At Lawson Personal Injury Attorneys, we’re here to help you recover every dollar you deserve. Our consultations are free, and we only collect legal fees if we win your case.

Call us at (678) 446-3655 to schedule your free case review with an experienced Georgia personal injury attorney today.