Being injured in a car accident can be physically, mentally, and emotionally traumatic. Car accident claims allow injured victims to see compensation for their injuries and damages after a car crash. If a negligent driver caused your injury, are you sure you are receiving compensation for all damages? Did you know that you can receive compensation for pain and suffering damages?
Car Accident Claims and Economic Damages
Car accidents cause a variety of damages. The collision may result in substantial damage to your vehicle. You must file a property damage claim with the insurance company for compensation for the repairs or the vehicle’s value if it is totaled. If the accident resulted in injuries, you might incur numerous financial losses because of the accident.
Financial losses or economic damages from a car crash may include:
- Medical bills
- Physical therapy
- Medications and medical equipment
- Travel costs to and from doctors’ appointments
- Personal care costs
- Loss of income and benefits
- A decrease in earning potential because of a permanent impairment
- Help with household chores and childcare
You must carefully document each of your financial losses to recover compensation for those damages when filing car accident claims.
However, you may also experience non-economic damages because of the car accident. Another name for non-economic damages is pain and suffering damages.
What Are Pain and Suffering Damages?
Pain and suffering damages refer to the mental, emotional, and physical damages you experience because of the car accident and your injuries.
Common types of pain and suffering damages include:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Emotional distress and anxiety
- Mental anguish, including PTSD and depression
- Scarring and disfigurement
- A decrease in your quality of life
- Permanent disabilities and impairments
Valuing pain and suffering damages can be challenging. There is no “bill” or “invoice” that you can provide to place a price tag on someone’s suffering. There is no standard formula for calculating non-economic damages.
Factors Affecting the Value of Non-Economic Damages
Several factors could impact the value of your pain and suffering. Factors in car accident claims used to value these types of damages include, but are not limited to:
- The type of injury sustained in the accident
- Whether the injury resulted in permanent impairment or disability
- How long the person spent recovering from the injury
- The level of disruption to the person’s day-to-day activities
- Whether the person required surgery and therapy for the injury
- How the injury impacted the person’s relationships with others
- Whether the person could be partially at fault for the cause of the injury
A common way for parties to value pain and suffering is with the multiplier method. A number between one and five is assigned to car accident claims based on the above factors and other relevant factors. Cases with permanent impairments or catastrophic injuries generally receive higher numbers.
The total of the financial losses in the case is multiplied by that number. The result is the value of the non-economic damages. Of course, the other side argues for the lowest number while we use the facts to argue for the highest multiplier.
Call Our New Orleans Car Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Do not let an insurance company cheat you out of the full value of your pain and suffering damages. Talk to Attorney Fred Olinde at The Olinde Firm before you agree to a settlement offer.
Contact our office by calling (504) 587-1440 or 1-800-587-1889 to schedule your free consultation with a New Orleans car accident lawyer.