After you are involved in a car accident, it's likely that you've suffered some injuries at the hands of the negligent driver. When that happens, you're generally entitled to economic recovery. The kinds of compensation you can expect will vary based on how injured you are and how damaged your vehicle is, among other factors. Sometimes, your family can be entitled to compensation as well.
Here's an example. If you suffer a long-term disability like paralysis, you could need ongoing medical treatment for the rest of your life. In that case, you can make a claim for future medical expenses. If the same crash left you with lacerations and injuries that resulted in disfigurement, you could claim for disfigurement, which may also account for your mental anguish.
If you lose a loved one or a loved one is badly hurt in an accident, then you may be able to claim for a loss of consortium. Essentially, this claim states that you've lost the benefits of married life, like affection, comfort, and sexual relations, due to the accident. The person who was injured may also make a claim for the loss of consortium.
After a serious crash or exceptional injury, the loss of enjoyment of life could be common. Depression, anxiety, and fear over a condition may not be uncommon, and it's something you can claim for. The inability or diminished ability to enjoy your day-to-day life counts as "loss of enjoyment," which may also be known as pain and suffering. Usually, there is no way to tell exactly how much you'll be awarded for this, but it can still be claimed.
Source: FindLaw, "Economic Recovery for Accidents and Injuries," accessed Sep. 08, 2015