Money losses that can be added up.

That includes the financial harm caused by an injury or wrongful act: past and future medical bills, lost wages, reduced earning ability, rehabilitation costs, property damage, and other out-of-pocket expenses. "Economic" means there is usually some paper trail behind the loss, such as invoices, receipts, payroll records, tax returns, repair estimates, or expert projections. If a ranch worker needs surgery after a crash, follow-up therapy, travel for treatment, and time away from work, those are all examples of losses that may fit here.

These damages matter because they are often the foundation of a personal injury claim. They give a case a measurable starting point before harder-to-price harm like pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment of life is considered. Clear records usually make economic damages easier to prove than non-economic damages, but future losses still may require expert opinions, especially when an injury limits heavy labor, riding, lifting, or other physical work.

In Idaho, economic damages can still be reduced by the injured person's share of fault under the state's modified comparative fault rule, Idaho Code section 6-801. If the injured person is found 50 percent or more at fault, there is no recovery; if less than 50 percent at fault, the award is reduced by that percentage. So even well-documented medical care and lost income can shrink if fault is disputed after a crash on I-86 or US-20.