Courts and juries decide what constitutes a compensable inconvenience.
First, “compensable” means “worth paying a victim for.” For instance, unpaid medical bills following a personal injury are compensable because the person or organization that caused the victim’s injuries should pay the cost of required care.
Inconvenience is a noneconomic loss, meaning its cost cannot be precisely calculated. Despite that, the issues suffered by an injured person are certainly real and deserving of compensation.
Examples of inconvenience that have been ruled compensable include
- Needing to move or temporarily relocate in order to receive special medical care,
- Having to travel long distances for medical care,
- Needing to retrain for a different job as a result of a disability, and
- Using an assistive device like a cane, walker or wheelchair.
Personal injury victims do not have to claim damages for inconvenience specifically, as the issues can also be considered pain, suffering and mental anguish.
EJL