Every car accident injury claim is different, so without more information we cannot estimate how much compensation you can get for pain and suffering from a car accident. We will have to talk with you and investigate your situation to determine a fair amount of financial damages for your losses.
Factors That Can Impact Your Pain and Suffering Damages
Multiple factors can go into the calculation of compensation for your pain and suffering from a car accident. Here are a few examples:
- The amount of your medical bills. There are exceptions, of course, but typically, higher medical bills usually coincide with higher pain and suffering damages.
- The severity of your injuries. A judge will likely assume that you suffered more from a crash that caused you to be in the hospital for a month than from injuries for which you were treated in the emergency room and soon after released to go home.
- Your inconvenience. Some judges look at inconvenience as an element of pain and suffering damages. For example, if the treatment for your injuries caused you to undergo multiple procedures or meet with a physical therapist several times a week for several months, you experienced significant disruption to your life.
- Extreme facts. If hearing about what happened to you would make a person wince, you might have a situation that would warrant higher pain and suffering damages than is typical. Circumstances that caused extraordinary grief can lead to greater damages as well.
Your situation might have aspects that could constitute a reason to advocate for higher damages for pain and suffering. We can evaluate these factors after we talk with you and investigate your injury claim.
An Explanation of Pain and Suffering Damages
You might hear the term “pain and suffering” in the context of personal injury cases but not know the definition of those words or what you might get for pain and suffering from a car accident. The law has something specific in mind with regard to the concept of pain and suffering damages.
The “Pain” Part of Pain and Suffering Damages
“Pain” refers to more than the initial discomfort you feel when you get injured. Many injuries involved multiple stages of pain, including:
- At the moment of the injury;
- While riding in the ambulance and waiting for medical attention in the emergency room (often without any pain medication);
- When the emergency room doctor examines you, the nurse cleans your wounds, and the technicians perform diagnostic procedures;
- After surgery or other initial treatment for your injuries;
- During physical therapy; or
- While recuperating from the injury.
People who have to undergo multiple procedures, like skin grafts and follow-up operations, experience additional stages of pain. Some injuries never reach of state of being pain-free and result in a future of chronic discomfort.
The “Suffering” Part of Pain and Suffering Damages
While “pain” refers to physical discomfort, “suffering” is about the emotional distress you experienced. The amount of suffering is different in each case. You might:
- Worry about whether you will be able to walk again or use your limbs properly.
- Stress about medical expenses, rent or mortgage, and other bills piling up while you are out of work from your injuries.
- Feel anxious about possibly losing your job because of your extended absence or the potential inability to perform your work if you suffer lasting impairment from the accident.
- Experience depression or hopelessness after getting hurt.
We can explore these issues and others when we talk with you. Pain and suffering losses seldom have a paper trail, like invoices or receipts, to set a monetary value on what you experienced.
We will gather evidence to build your case for getting compensation for pain and suffering from a car accident. After we collect the information about your financial damages, like medical expenses and lost wages, we can begin to calculate a fair amount for your pain and suffering.
Getting Legal Help for Your Car Accident Injury Claim
If you were injured in a car accident, the last thing you should have to worry about is what you will get for pain and suffering from a car accident. Our clients get to focus their attention on getting better because they know that we are taking care of their legal matters.
We handle car accident cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you do not have to pay upfront legal fees. Our legal fees will come out of the settlement proceeds or award from the court at the end. We do not get paid until you win.
We treat our clients like family. We deliver personal, attentive legal services. Call S. Burke Law today at (404) 842-7838 to get started. The initial consultation is free, and there is no obligation.