A personal injury accident does not only involve medical bills, lost wages, and other economic expenses. It also has personal costs, such as physical pain, emotional suffering, and mental anguish. Learning what the courts consider pain and suffering during an accident claim could help you demand full and fair compensation for your damages.

Physical Pain and Emotional Suffering

Pain and suffering refer to physical and emotional pain and suffering the accident has caused and will likely cause in the future. It can refer to the actual physical pain you felt from your injuries, as well as discomfort, immobility, limitations or disabilities. If you have chronic pain from your injury, you could also seek compensation for your foreseeable future pain.

The suffering aspect refers to the emotional repercussions of the accident, such as distress, anxiety, fear, depression, shock, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychological trauma, grief, embarrassment, and mental anguish. You can help prove pain and suffering damages during an accident claim by keeping a journal. Document how you feel and the sensations you are experiencing in the aftermath of an accident in writing. Describe your pain and suffering in detail and add the date to each journal entry.

A journal can give a judge or jury a look into your thoughts and feelings after an accident, helping them understand how greatly the accident or injury impacted you. Your lawyer may also bring family members or friends to the stand to testify as to your physical pain and emotional suffering after an accident. An official diagnosis of a mental health condition could also help prove your damages.

Other Intangible Damages

The courts use pain and suffering as an umbrella phrase. It can refer to much more than just physical pain and emotional suffering. It can encompass any noneconomic or intangible damage you experienced because of your accident or injury. Your lawyer can help you assess everything you are feeling due to your injuries through a legal lens, putting a name and monetary value to all the negative outcomes of your accident.

• Lost quality or enjoyment of life
• Diminished interest in favorite activities
• Missed professional or personal opportunities
• Loss of consortium (care, companionship, love, and guidance)
• Sexual dysfunction
• Loss of household services
• Loss of appetite
• Sleeping problems
• Trauma from permanent scars or disfigurement
• Mood swings and behavioral changes
• Bereavement over a deceased loved one

Hire an attorney to help you create a list of all the ways in which an accident and injury have affected you. A lawyer can help you understand what does and what does not qualify as pain and suffering damages in Nebraska. Then, your lawyer can calculate a fair compensatory award to demand from the defendant. You may bring a claim solely for pain and suffering in Georgia. However, most plaintiffs seek pain and suffering on top of economic damages.

Article from https://www.knowleslawfirm.com/what-is-considered-pain-and-suffering-in-an-accident-claim/