How Are Pain and Suffering Damages Calculated?

When someone’s negligence leads to accidents and significant injuries, the at-fault party may be liable for damages. In the aftermath of a personal injury, the individual affected may experience physical and emotional suffering. When the pain and emotional suffering sustained in an accident affect one’s enjoyment of life and professional work, it may be possible to pursue damages. But what damages are included, and how are they calculated?

Arshad, Pangere & Warring, LLP can evaluate your case and help you determine how much in damages you may receive for pain and suffering directly caused by your personal injury. Contact our firm today for a consultation. 

What Are Pain and Suffering Damages?

Pain and suffering include the emotional and physical suffering someone experiences after an accident. They are classified as non-economic damages encompassing the anguish and trauma the victim suffered. “Damages” refer to the money you might be granted by filing a personal injury claim. Pain and suffering often fall under non-economic damages, which are non-monetary losses.

Damages cover physical injuries as well as mental suffering, which often includes:

• Physical Pain: Physical injuries can be incredibly painful and long-lasting. In some cases, the injuries may cause irreversible damage that greatly compromises the victim’s ability to function in everyday life. Common injuries in accidents include back pain, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, nerve damage and paralysis.

• Emotional Suffering: Emotional distress refers to the mental harm a victim develops following the incident. Psychological distress includes a wide range of mental health conditions and emotional dysfunction brought on by the accident, including cognitive changes, insomnia, anxiety, grief and PTSD. 

After filing a claim, you may be able to receive compensation for the physical and emotional pain you’ve been through. A few of the most common injuries include scars, whiplash, spinal cord injuries and broken bones. There are other damages you may add to your personal injury claim, including economic or “special” damages. These involve medical bills, property damage and wages lost due to the injury. 

How Insurance Companies calculate the Amount of Damages You Can Collect

When the other party is proven to be at fault, the injured person can receive at least some amount of compensation for their suffering. Typically, insurance companies acknowledge that many people with injuries will face negative impacts in nearly all areas of their lives. Insurance companies usually use their own calculators to determine how much they think your pain and suffering damages are worth. 

Often, the company will multiply your hospital bills with some designated number to calculate a monetary value. Unfortunately, this universal approach to calculating damages doesn’t address the significant variations in actual suffering injured people experience. Your case is unique, and you deserve a settlement that is accurate to the suffering you went through. You’ll want to enlist the help of an attorney to ensure that your settlement is fair. 

Contact Our Personal Injury Lawyer Now

Arshad, Pangere & Warring, LLP is available to review your case. Call our personal injury lawyer today to discuss how your compensation may be calculated.