When you've been injured and are pursuing a personal injury suit, your attorney will have you put together all of the medical expenses that you've incurred as a result of the injury so that you can ask for damages of at least this amount. After an incident of defamation — which falls under personal injury law, even if it's not related to a physical injury — you won't necessarily have medical expenses related to physical issues. You may, however, have spent money on mental health-related care because of the defamation that you've experienced. For example, defamation can often lead to anxiety and depression, both of which can compel you to seek medical care. If you've hired an attorney and are building a defamation case, here are some expenses to tabulate.
Medication Expenses
If you've seen your family doctor to get help for the anxiety or depression that you're facing in the wake of someone defaming you, he or she may have prescribed you certain types of medication. Anti-depression medication isn't cheap, so you'll definitely want to keep records of all of the medication that you've had to purchase out of your own pocket so that you can provide this paperwork to your personal injury attorney. Your legal representative will be able to make a strong link between the defamation and your need for medication, which will bolster your suit.
Counseling Expenses
The mental health struggles that you face after defamation could also compel you to get help from a counselor — another service that isn't free, and for which you should track your expenses. You may need to attend several sessions as a way of having a healthy way to discuss your feelings related to this case, while also work on bolstering your self-confidence — especially if your reputation in the community has suffered dramatically from the defamation. These expenses, too, will be critical in your personal injury case.
Self-Harm Expenses
In the most severe cases, it's possible that you may have attempted to harm yourself in the wake of the defamation. For example, before you thought about hiring a legal professional and suing, you might have felt as though your life and career were ruined, and attempted to take your own life. Doing so can result in medical expenses, including hospital stays, medication, and more. You'll also want to compile these expenses, as difficult as the task may be emotionally, as doing so will help your case.
To learn more, reach out to personal injury lawyers like Nicholas B. Hall - Personal Injury Lawyer.
