Wondering how much you should get for pain and suffering for a car accident settlement? You are not alone. While some aspects of a personal injury claim—like your medical bills—might be easy to estimate, it can be challenging to know what amount of pain and suffering compensation you might be entitled to recover.
No one can promise you a specific outcome in your injury case or predict how your lawsuit will play out in court. However, your lawyer could evaluate your case and advise you on what to expect from a settlement.
How Much Can You Expect for Compensation for Pain and Suffering?
Pain and suffering compensation is one of the many forms of monetary damages available with a personal injury claim. This compensation exists to provide for a car accident injury victim’s physical pain and the debilitating effect it can have on their life. Some pain and suffering damages are limited to the short period after a crash. Chronic pain could have lifelong consequences for some, though.
Pain and suffering damages are a segment of possibly recoverable non-economic losses. Unlike medical bills or lost wages, it can be difficult to quantify your pain and suffering. There are multiple ways to determine the financial value of your pain.
It is not uncommon for pain and suffering compensation settlements to use your medical expenses as a baseline. For example, a settlement might include double the cost of a person’s medical treatment for their pain and suffering damages.
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Factors Used to Evaluate Pain and Suffering
The amount of medical bills you accumulate due to your injuries is only one factor you should consider during this process. Other factors to take into account include:
- The severity of your injuries
- Whether the injury is likely to result in death
- Any long-term complications or effects from the injury
- How the pain has limited your enjoyment of life
Making this determination can be challenging. It is not uncommon for two people to suffer the same injury only to face very different outcomes. Some people naturally heal faster and only deal with limited pain in the days following their crash.
Others could face chronic pain that haunts them forever. Part of negotiating a pain and suffering injury settlement involves highlighting how these factors have impacted your life both now and in the future.
Negotiating a Settlement for Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering compensation is subjective. No two people experience physical pain the same way. Given the potential for variation in these cases, pain and suffering compensation is one area where the guidance of your attorney is vital.
How Your Lawyer Can Help You Seek a Fair Settlement
Nothing is preventing a car accident injury victim from negotiating a pain and suffering settlement independently. Insurance companies are known to prey on individuals handling their own injury cases to save on attorney fees. With an attorney, you could be sure that you are getting the best possible settlement offer based on your injuries.
An attorney could:
- Negotiate on your behalf to ensure that you get the best settlement offer possible from the other side
- Determine your case value
- Help show how your physical pain and suffering has impacted your life
- Demonstrate what financial compensation would be fair in your case
Another benefit that can come from working with legal counsel is insight into whether a settlement offer is fair or not. Anyone that has never had a personal injury case before might struggle to put a settlement offer into context. What might sound reasonable initially could turn out to be far less than what an injury victim might need over their lifetime. An attorney could put a settlement offer into context.
Sometimes a negotiated settlement is not a possibility following a car accident. This is especially true in cases where an injured motorist is seeking substantial personal injury damages. In these situations, taking the case to trial might be the best option. An attorney could continue working to settle your claim up until the day of trial.
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Talk to an Attorney Today About Pain and Suffering Damages You Can Claim
If you consider a personal injury lawsuit following a car accident, it is understandable to wonder how much you should get for your pain and suffering. Pain and suffering compensation might be subjective, but our firm understands how to help you determine a fair monetary recovery after an accident.
The Underwood Law Office has a long and successful track record of negotiating fair settlements and fighting for our clients at trial. If you are ready to move forward with a pain and suffering lawsuit following a car crash, we are ready to stand by your side. Call today for your free consultation.
Call or text (972) 535-6377 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
