Many car accident victims suffer unimaginable losses, including lifelong health complications and permanent disabilities. The physical toll a car accident takes isn’t the only challenge these victims face, though; psychological and mental problems also arise. Unlike other types of damages, however, pain and suffering can be difficult to calculate, and you may face several challenges when pursuing justice for your damages.
What is Pain and Suffering?
Pain and suffering refers to the physical or emotional distress caused by an event. In many cases, pain and suffering has a lasting effect after a car accident or other traumatic event, causing long-lasting effects to the victim. These types of damages are considered non-economic damages in Missouri accident cases. These damages often have a severe impact on one’s quality of life and mental state.
Some examples of pain and suffering symptoms an accident victim can experience may include:
- Loss of enjoyment or quality of life
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Emotional distress
- Extreme stress caused by medical bills
- Physical impairment
While these are serious issues that may require treatment, there’s no specific dollar amount assigned to pain and suffering damages. An auto body shop can calculate the amount required to repair your vehicle, but there’s no specific formula to put a dollar amount to the amount of pain and suffering caused by an accident.
Calculating Pain and Suffering Damages
One of the biggest challenges car accident victims face when attempting to recover pain and suffering damages is proving the extent and severity of their damages. Because pain and suffering can include the impact on both physical and mental health, providing detailed evidence can be crucial to winning a case. The circumstances surrounding pain and suffering damages can vary greatly from case to case, which means that each person can face different challenges when trying to recover damages.
There are a few ways a victim of pain and suffering can help insurance companies or a court to determine damages.
- Providing proof of a diagnosis, medical treatment, and treatment plans can show the nature and extent of the condition.
- Statements from medical professionals, work colleagues or a boss, and others that demonstrate that your daily life or work is impacted by the accident.
Calculating pain and suffering damages is based on several factors, such as the types of treatment the victim must undergo and how long it may impact his or her life. It can be extremely difficult to calculate fair compensation for pain and damages by yourself. A personal injury attorney is your best resource for calculating a realistic and accurate compensation amount for any pain and suffering you’ve sustained due to an accident. Your lawyer can negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf and can help you decide when to go to court to pursue compensation for your damages.
Discuss Your Pain and Suffering Case with a Missouri Attorney
If you suffered from damages caused by someone else’s negligence, the compassionate law team at Dreyer & Tinney is here to help. We represent clients in pain and suffering and personal injury cases across Missouri and would love to speak with you about your case. Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation with a knowledgeable member of the Dreyer & Tinney team.