If you are harmed by the careless actions of another driver, you may be entitled to several forms of damages. You could be paid for lost wages, medical expenses, and the loss of property. One of the most confusing areas of compensation is "pain and suffering." This form of money damages can be one of the most valuable categories of damages, and it would be a big mistake to count on the insurance company to pay you for pain and suffering without taking legal action. Read on to learn more.

What Qualifies as "Pain and Suffering"?

Most of the other forms of damages can be equated to dollars and cents, but it can be difficult to visualize how something like pain and suffering is paid. To fully understand what "pain and suffering" entails, you should try to imagine the many ways that your life has been impacted by the accident and your injuries. You might think of your injuries and the discomfort and misery caused by being hurt, hospitalized, having surgery, and weeks of rehabilitation. You might also consider how your enjoyment of life has been affected, how your family is suffering from the effects of the accident, and how your emotional state and mental health have been affected. As you can see, pain and suffering can encompass a very wide area of accident damages.

How Is "Pain and Suffering" Calculated?

To be paid for your pain and suffering, calculations are used. Insurance companies and attorneys will use a variety of methods, but most of them use the same basic method of adding up all damages and multiplying it by factors.

For example, you might want to list the dollar amounts of all of your damage categories. To add in the pain and suffering category, you should multiply the total dollar amount of your medical expenses by a number (or a factor) between 1.5 and 5. The factor you use depends on the severity of your injuries and how the accident has affected your life. It is the dollar amount of your medical expenses that comprise the most important part of the pain and suffering calculation. The higher your medical bills were (and are predicted to be in the future), the more you might be entitled to get in the form of a settlement or with a court judgment.

You are uniquely qualified to put a value on your pain and suffering. Keep a journal during your recovery process and speak to a personal injury attorney like those at Palmetto Injury Lawyers at once.