Learn How Pain And Suffering Is Valued After A Car Accident

Pain and suffering are one of many types of compensation accident victims may be owed. However, the way this form of compensation is valued may not be as easily understood. Read on and find out more.

Pain and Suffering: What it Means

Accident victims know what it means to feel the myriad of emotions after an accident. They may be hurt, angry, sore, anxious, worried, unable to get around, and depressed. All of these and more make up pain and suffering. This category is wide enough to encompass all the ways the accident has affected the way you feel after the accident. When you speak of getting your life back together after the accident, you are probably focusing on all the things that make up pain and suffering. You can be paid for pain and suffering by speaking to a personal injury lawyer.

How Pain and Suffering Is Calculated

There is more than one way to figure out pain and suffering:

Per Diem Method: Each day since the accident is assigned a dollar figure. Once the victim is healed or reaches a state of maximum medical improvement, the total figure becomes the pain and suffering payment. For instance, if it's been three months (90 days) since the accident occurred and the per diem is $3,333 a day, then the victim is owed $300,000 for their pain and suffering.

Multiplier Method: The total spent on medical expenses is multiplied by a number between 1.5 and 5 or more. For instance, if the total medical expenses add up to $150,000 and the factor is 2.0, the total amount for pain and suffering using this method would be $300,000.

Both the per diem and the multiplier factor chosen will depend on the severity of the victim's injuries. While the medical expenses dollar figure tells some of the story, the per diem and multiplier factors are negotiable. A person who was hospitalized and had to have surgery will be owed more money than someone released after an emergency room visit. Those with permanent injuries are owed much more than either of those examples.

How to Deal with Pain and Suffering

You can help your personal injury lawyer prove pain and suffering by keeping up with your emotional damages. Seek treatment from a counselor and follow their recommendations. You might also consider keeping a journal to record your accident struggles as you heal. Speak to a car accident attorney for more info. 

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