After an accident, you may seek compensation for your losses
Pain and suffering is the term used to describe the physical or emotional stress caused by being injured in an accident. How much compensation you should get for pain and suffering is calculated separately from the amount you get for more direct expenses.
Typically, you have bills or records that make it easier to calculate and document damages like:
- Past and future healthcare bills
- Lost current and future income
- Property damage
- At-home care
- Alternative transportation
- Home modifications
- Child care
On the other hand, determining pain and suffering damages are really a way of asking how much your wellness and enjoyment of life is worth.
How do courts calculate compensation for pain and suffering?
The costs of pain and suffering often seem vague or subjective. Though it can be difficult to quantify, pain and suffering has worked as a measurement to assess fair compensation for pain and suffering such as:
- Physical pain
- Emotional distress
- Depression
- Mental impairment
- Anxiety and trauma
- Loss of enjoyment from life
- Physical impairment and disfigurement
When determining the amount of compensation for pain and suffering, the court usually considers if the injury and its associated pain:
- Caused your daily routine to be changed
- Has had an impact on your family
- Has had an impact on your relationships with family and friends
- Limited the type of work you can do
- Affects sleep or otherwise alters your lifestyle
- Is long-lasting or permanent
Compensation for pain and suffering is often the largest part of monetary compensation. This is because of both the amount and type of activities in which you can no longer participate, and the length of time you would have had to participate in these activities. So, a teenager may get more money for pain and suffering than an octogenarian because the teenager is losing out on more decades of activities.
An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you collect and review the documentation you need and help you get fairly compensated for your pain and suffering.
Call for a free consultation with a Bronx personal injury attorney
If you are injured in an accident, personal injury lawyer Bronx Evan W. Kohn can help you get the compensation that you deserve for your injuries and for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries. Evan W. Kohn helps people get appropriate compensation for physical, emotional and financial injuries. Contact The Law Offices of Evan W. Kohn online or by calling 718-409-5500 to arrange a free consultation.