A personal injury claim may allow you to collect compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other material losses caused by someone else’s carelessness. However, accident victims often experience emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and other noneconomic damages that may continue to affect your life long after your physical wounds have healed. A fair settlement should also include compensation for these damages, which can substantially increase the amount of your award.

What Is Considered “Pain & Suffering”?

Pain and suffering, also known as general damages, cover all of the negative consequences of an accident for which it may be difficult to calculate an exact dollar amount. This category includes the physical pain of the injury, the emotional trauma you’ve experienced, and the long-term impact on your life.

How Is the Settlement Amount Determined?

Putting a dollar amount on psychological trauma and physical pain can be difficult, but personal injury attorneys employ a variety of methods for assigning a monetary value to general damages. One method is using a multiplier, which is based on your medical expenses and other financial losses.

Most attorneys use a multiplier between 1.5 and four, with higher numbers for more serious injuries. For instance, if your injuries resulted in $30,000 in medical bills and permanent scarring, your attorney may multiply that figure by four and demand $120,000 from the liable party’s insurer.

Many personal injury attorneys prefer to use a per diem method for calculating pain and suffering, which may result in a more fair settlement. This approach involves assigning a monetary value to every day the victim lived in pain because of their injuries and then multiplying the amount by how long their recovery took. For instance, if your attorney decides your pain and suffering is worth $100 per day and you spent three months in recovery, they may ask for $90,000.

If you’ve been injured through no fault of your own, having a good personal injury can be the key to achieving justice. With offices in Columbus, Circleville, and Chillicothe, the attorneys at Agee Clymer Mitchell & Portman provide aggressive representation to victims throughout central and southern Ohio. Visit their website to learn more about their services, or call (614) 221-3318 to schedule a meeting with a personal injury attorney today.