Pain And Suffering Settlement Examples

Personal injury victims go through so many challenges following their accidents. The costs alone, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and other accident-related bills, are devastating. On top of these expenses, victims often endure significant amounts of physical and emotional pain, known as pain and suffering. Some victims do not know they can earn compensation for the pain and suffering caused by their injuries. If you have been injured due to another person’s negligence, you deserve fair compensation for all your damages, including financial burdens and non-monetary losses.

At Jett Legal, we advocate for our clients. We understand how horrible an accident can be and how the effects can negatively impact your life. Our personal injury lawyers will support you through this journey, and they will fight for you so you can focus on recovery. Continue reading this guide to learn about pain and suffering settlements, and call Jett Legal to schedule your free consultation.

What Is Pain And Suffering?

In personal injury law, pain and suffering refer to various non-economic losses you sustain from your accident. This can include physical pain, emotional distress, mental anguish, and more. After an accident resulting in bodily injury, you can seek compensation for two common damages: economic and non-economic. Economic losses encompass monetary expenses. Meanwhile, non-economic damages account for the pain and suffering you endured due to the accident. Some examples of pain and suffering damages include the following.

Physical Pain

Pain can refer to the physical injuries you sustained from the accident and the pain that resulted from the injuries.

For example, you could seek compensation for:

• Broken bones
• Headaches
• Back and neck pain
• Limb amputation
• Paralysis
• Disfigurement

Emotional Suffering

The other aspect of pain and suffering is the emotional trauma and distress you experience following an accident.

This can include:

• Depression
• Insomnia
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Anxiety
• Fear
• Loss of enjoyment in life

How To Calculate Pain And Suffering

Since you cannot measure pain and suffering like you can measure tangible damages, like monetary losses, calculating pain and suffering can be difficult. Fortunately, there are two common ways your personal injury attorney can help you calculate your non-economic damages:

Multiplier Method

The multiplier method is the first and most common way to calculate pain and suffering losses. The multiplier method is when you take your total economic losses, such as medical bills and lost wages, and multiply it by a number between 1.5 and 5. The multiplier is determined by how severe your injuries are. For example, the multiplier for permanent injuries might be 5, while the multiplier for minor injuries might be 1.5.

Per Diem Method

While less common than the multiplier method, some still use the per diem method to calculate pain and suffering damages. The per diem method is when you are assigned a dollar amount for each day you suffered because of your accident. This method is less common because it can be difficult to determine a dollar amount for a single day’s pain. Sometimes the dollar amount is assigned based on your daily income.

Common Pain And Suffering Settlement Amounts

After you have experienced a personal injury accident, you may wonder how much your settlement is worth. It is important to realize that each personal injury case is different; therefore, it is challenging to determine one common settlement amount. Additionally, many factors can affect your compensation, such as the severity of your injuries, whether or not you lost wages, or if you were partially at fault for the accident. For example, a victim who can no longer work due to their injuries may earn a larger pain and suffering award than someone who only sustained minor injuries.

Here are two pain and suffering settlement examples:

Example 1

John got in a car accident that a drunk driver caused. His medical bills related to the accident totaled $5,000. Due to his injuries, John lost $5,000 worth of wages. John’s attorney assigns him a per diem dollar amount of $200. Additionally, it takes John 31 days to fully recover. Therefore, John’s total compensation for his pain and suffering based on the per diem method is $6,200. His total personal injury settlement would be $16,200.

Example 2

Jane got in a bus accident and sustained many injuries, including several broken bones, a spinal injury, and a concussion. Due to these injuries, Jane is now disabled, and it is unclear whether or not she will be able to work again. Jane’s medical bills have amounted to $300,000, and she has lost $30,000 in wages so far. Since her pain and suffering is so severe, the insurance adjuster assigns Jane a multiplier of 4. This means that Jane’s personal injury settlement is worth approximately $1,320,000.

Consult With An Attorney Today

If you have experienced an accident near St. Louis, Missouri, contact a personal injury lawyer from Jett Legal today. We will stand by your side to ensure you receive fair compensation for your damages. Call now to get started on your personal injury claim.

Author Bio

Matt Jett is the CEO and Managing Partner of Jett Legal, a Missouri personal injury law firm. With more than 10 years of
experience in personal injury, he has zealously represented clients in various legal matters, including car and truck
accidents, workers’ compensation, wrongful death, and other cases.
Matt received his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law and is a member of the Missouri
Bar Association. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including the Rising Stars distinction by Super Lawyers 2019-2022.