How Pain and Suffering Compensation is Determined After A Car Accident

How Pain and Suffering Compensation is Determined After A Car Accident

When a client comes to us at Briggle & Polan, PLLC, following a car accident in which they sustained injuries, a common question they have is exactly how much money is the pain and suffering they have experienced worth? When our personal injury attorneys initially negotiate with the insurance company of a party who has inflicted harm on you due to negligence or willful misconduct, there are usually one of two ways to calculate the value of a personal injury claim for pain and suffering.

Multiplying Damages

The first method of reaching an actual number for pain and suffering is called the Multiplier Method. This involves multiplying such damages as medical expenses and lost wages by a certain number. Most personal injury attorneys use the number three as the multiplier. If your medical bills amounted to $10,000 and the wages you lost due to injuries in a car accident were another $10,000, by multiplying both of those amounts ($20,000) by three would result in a claim of $60,000 to cover pain and suffering.

In recent years, insurance companies have tended to underplay and undervalue pain and suffering claims in order to pay out much less than three times the amount of medical bills and lost wages. Injuries that are more severe and take more rehabilitation and time to get over have a higher multiplier number for pain and suffering than just a broken wrist or sprained ankle. Because the Multiplier Method of determining just how much pain and suffering is worth in dollars has become more complicated, it is more important than ever for you to hire a personal injury firm like Briggle & Polan, PLLC, who are experienced at personal injury car accident cases and fighting to get fair compensation.

Daily Rates

The second method for calculating pain and suffering compensation involves assigning a “per diem” for every day or week that you experience injury from a car accident. This can range anywhere from $200 per day to thousands of dollars per week, depending upon the medical bills you incur and the wages you lose from not being able to return to your job. Your attorney is an expert at helping show the judge and jury just how the amount claimed for pain and suffering was arrived at in order to you to win the award you are claiming.

Final Value

A fair way to determine a financial amount to cover pain and suffering is a combination of both the Daily Rate and Multiplier Method. Factors influencing the final amount claimed will be affected by the severity of your injuries, the length and amount of your medical and rehabilitation expenses, whether your injuries have caused temporary or permanent damage and the extent of your loss of work wages.

By providing honest and truthful information to your personal injury attorney about specific bills and lost wage amounts, the financial claim made by your attorney will demonstrate in dollars and cents that have been carefully calculated how injuries caused by an accident have impacted you financially and deserve compensation. Contact us today if you have suffered injury from a car accident and are in need of legal guidance.