Understanding Pain and Suffering Compensation in a Personal Injury Case

The impact of a car accident extends much further than just your medical expenses and lost income. As you recover, you may not be able to care for your children the same way you once did, and even basic daily tasks may become much more difficult. You may suffer severe pain, and not enjoy old hobbies as you once did.

You are entitled to recover damages for all of your losses after an accident caused by another person’s negligence. These damages include losses that have a concrete dollar value, such as your medical bills, and those that do not, such as pain and suffering. Below, our Illinois personal injury lawyer explains damages for pain and suffering, and what you may be entitled to in a claim.

What are Damages for Pain and Suffering?

The phrase “pain and suffering” may seem straightforward, but it is important to understand what it means when filing a personal injury claim. The term can really be broken down into two parts. The first part is the pain, which is the physical pain you endured due to the accident. Suffering refers to the emotional and psychological effects of the accident. 

For example, you may feel great pain due to your injury, and you may also develop depression because you cannot enjoy life as you once did. Together, these impacts of your accident are known as your pain and suffering, which you can claim damages for within your claim.

Damages for pain and suffering are known as non-economic damages because they are not easy to quantify. Only you truly know the pain and suffering you are experiencing. As such, it is important to know how these damages are calculated.

Calculating Pain and Suffering Damages

Many factors are taken into consideration when calculating damages for pain and suffering. These include:

• The nature and severity of your injuries
• Your ability to work
• Your ability to perform basic daily tasks
• Your loss of enjoyment of life
• Whether you suffered a permanent disfigurement or disability
• Any future medical care you will require
• The overall feeling of discomfort and pain you are experiencing

A personal injury lawyer in Illinois will use one of two methods to calculate the amount of pain and suffering damages you deserve. The first is the multiplier method. A lawyer will assign your injury a number, depending on how severe it is. They will then multiply that number by your total economic damages. If your economic damages total $100,000, and your injuries are assigned a “5” because they are severe, you can recover $500,000 in pain and suffering damages.

A lawyer may also choose to assign your injuries a certain cost per day. They will then multiply that amount by the number of days you are going to suffer from your injuries. This is known as the per diem method.

Our Personal Injury Lawyer in Illinois Can Value Your Claim

If you have been hurt in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, our Illinois personal injury lawyer at Brassfield & Krueger, Ltd. can accurately evaluate your claim so you recover full and fair compensation. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a free consultation so we can review your case.