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Factors That Decide Your Pain and Suffering Compensation

30 July 2020

Dianne Ellis

The main thing that sets two accident scenarios apart is pain and suffering. If you've been injured in a car accident, you have the choice of accepting the money the insurance company (for the at-fault driver) offers you or you can take further legal action. The difference between those two choices can be thousands of dollars and it all comes down to the issue of pain and suffering. To find out more about pain and suffering and what factors influence the amount, read on.

Pain and Suffering: The Payback for Misery

On a misery index, being hurt in a car accident ranks pretty high. Anyone who's had to deal with being seriously ill or had to undergo major surgery can relate to how miserable the entire situation can be. The overall misery of being hurt added to the trauma and chaos an accident can bring has a name: pain and suffering. If you just go along with the insurance company and take their offer, you will probably not be paid for your pain suffering. The only way to ensure you are paid this extremely valuable form of damage is to seek legal action. The means speaking to an attorney and having them demand to be paid every penny you deserve.

Factors That Makeup Pain and Suffering

You might be surprised at how much money is paid for victims that experience a high level of pain and suffering. In many cases, pain and suffering is several times the total sum of your medical bills. Imagine that your award is 4 times your $175,000 medical treatment costs—that's $700,000 just for pain and suffering. The following factors will influence how much you are paid for pain and suffering. Every case is unique, but some of those factors are:

• Medical Treatment: The seriousness of your accident injuries and the resulting medical costs are the number one predictor of your pain and suffering award. It only makes sense, if you have severe injuries and high medical costs, you are also very likely experiencing a high level of pain and suffering.
• Future Medical Treatment: If your injuries have permanently affected your life, you can expect to receive on-going medical treatments and that will increase your pain and suffering award too.
• Your Personal Characteristics: Your age, occupation, and where you live all play a part in how much compensation you can expect.

To find out more about pain and suffering and how much you can expect, speak to a personal injury attorney about your accident.

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