Personal injury takes many forms. You can be injured in an accident, but you can also develop psychological complaints or incur costs you wouldn't have otherwise had. Our personal injury lawyers explain what types of personal injury you can claim – and why it's important to document everything properly.

Tangible damages: all costs you incur because of the injury

Tangible damages are damages that can be expressed in money. This goes beyond just medical costs. Think of lost income because you can't work temporarily or permanently, costs for household help, or necessary home modifications. Even the costs of taxis to the hospital or broken glasses as a result of the accident can fall under this category.

Future damages also count: if you'll earn less in the future, need ongoing help, or require more frequent medical care, the liable party must also compensate for these costs. Our personal injury lawyers work with medical and financial experts to calculate these damages.

Intangible damages: pain and suffering compensation

Pain and suffering compensation is an award for loss of enjoyment of life, pain, fear, and other non-tangible consequences of an accident. This form of personal injury is difficult to measure, but it plays an important role in virtually every case. Especially if the injury has lasting effects, you're entitled to compensation for your personal suffering.

The amount of pain and suffering compensation depends on the severity of the injury, the duration of recovery, your age, and the impact on your daily life. The court also looks at comparable cases.

Psychological damages: mental injury counts too

Personal injury is not always visible. Psychological complaints such as anxiety, depression, sleep problems, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often occur after serious accidents, abuse, or prolonged workplace stress. These complaints can themselves form the basis for compensation.

What's important is that there is a medical diagnosis and that a doctor confirms the connection to the accident or situation. Psychological damages also fall under both tangible and intangible damages. Think of costs for therapy, medication, and lost income, but also pain and suffering compensation for emotional suffering.

Affection damage: compensation for loved ones

If someone is seriously and permanently injured or dies, family members can claim affection damages. This is financial compensation for the grief of partners, parents, children, or other loved ones. This type of damage is legally limited to certain relationships and situations, but the principle is that the suffering of loved ones is recognized.

Shock damage: psychological damage from witnessing an accident

If you directly witness a serious accident involving a loved one, you can suffer psychological injury yourself. This is called shock damages. For this form of compensation, it must be demonstrated that you developed complaints as a direct result of witnessing the event, and that this is medically provable.