Those with car accident injuries can endure excruciating physical pain and emotional suffering. Fortunately, plaintiffs in car accident lawsuits may recover monetary damages related to the pain and suffering they experienced. There are several types of injuries covered by pain and suffering damages, such as psychological distress, emotional anguish, and other non-economic harm.
Calculating pain and suffering in a Chicago car accident case will involve assessing the overall impact your injuries had on your life. This can include the detrimental impact of physical pain and the negative influence certain injuries place on your enjoyment of life. Typically, courts will quantify such damages by applying a multiplier to your economic damages or by determining a per diem rate for your pain and suffering.
If you were injured because of a car accident in Chicago, get help recovering financial compensation for the physical pain and emotional suffering your endured. Reach out to our experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers by calling the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502 for a free case review.
Factors Used to Calculate Pain and Suffering in a Chicago Car Accident Case
Car accident injuries can produce a wide range of impacts on victims’ daily lives. Furthermore, some injuries can heal quickly while other injuries may lead to a lifetime of anguish and discomfort. Accordingly, a multitude of factors may be analyzed when calculating pain and suffering in a Chicago car accident case. Some of these factors may include:
- The degree of physical pain caused by your injury
- The degree of physical pain associated with the medical care required to treat your injury
- The negative impacts of the physical pain you incurred such as anxiety, insomnia, and depression
- The negative impacts of an injury on your enjoyment of life
A “loss of enjoyment of life” can incorporate a wide range of affects an injury had on your life. For example, limitations on your social life may be factored into a calculation regarding the loss of enjoyment of life. Furthermore, inhibitions an injury placed on your ability to partake in the same hobbies and activities you did before your accident may also be factored into a calculation of lost enjoyment of life. Our experienced Chicago car accident lawyers can help fight for the full range of pain and suffering damages available to you.
Methods for Calculating Pain and Suffering in Chicago Car Accident Cases
There are two methods courts will typically choose between when calculating pain and suffering damages in your case. Our experienced Illinois personal injury lawyers can help further explain how the following methods work and which one may apply to your case during your free case review:
The Multiplier Method
A common method for calculating pain and suffering damages is the multiplier method. Under the multiplier method, the economic damages you sustained will be multiplied by a number between 1.5 and 5. That number will be based on the extent of your injuries and the impact on your life. The more devastating your injury, the higher your multiplier will be.
For example, if the jury determines you suffered extraordinarily painful injuries because of a car accident, you may receive a multiplier of 4. If your medical bills related to the injuries totaled $10,000, then those expenses would be multiplied by 4 to reach a total of $40,000 in pain and suffering damages. You can reach out to our Rockford, IL car accident lawyers for help determining how the multiplier method will apply to you claim.
The Per Diem Method
Alternatively, the per diem method may be used to quantify damages for pain and suffering in your case. The per diem is used less frequently than the multiplier method. Under this method, a specific dollar amount will be assigned to each day you underwent physical pain and emotional suffering because of your injuries. Determining an accurate per diem rate for pain and suffering can be a complex task. Further, this method may be less ideal for valuing pain and suffering related to injuries with long-term effects. The guidance of our Streamwood, IL personal injury lawyers can be very helpful when fighting for an appropriate per diem rate for pain and suffering damages in your case.
What Evidence is Used to Calculate Pain and Suffering Damages in a Chicago Car Accident Case?
There are many forms of evidence that can be utilized when seeking damages for pain and suffering. Our Chicago car accident lawyers can help collect the following types of evidence that may be used to build your case:
Medical Bills
Official documentation of your injuries is necessary in order to recover pain and suffering damages. Accordingly, you should seek prompt medical care after suffering an accident. Furthermore, if your symptoms worsen, you should report the harm to your doctor right away. Our team can help find the right physicians for you.
Photos of Your Injuries
Additionally, you should take photos of your injuries throughout the various stages of recovery. Photos can be used to help emphasize the severity of certain injuries stemming from your accident.
Journal Notes
It can also be very helpful to keep a journal chronicling your road to recovery and noting the pain and discomfort you endured along the way. Furthermore, journal notes can help demonstrate the restrictions certain injuries have placed on your social life and ability to partake in hobbies. Our experienced Aurora car accident lawyers can help utilize your journal notes effectively.
Documentation from Your Employer
Furthermore, documentation from your employer regarding time spend away from work can be used to calculate pain and suffering damages in your case. If you had to miss time because of your injuries, you should obtain written documentation for the days you missed.
If You Were Injured Because of a Car Accident in Chicago, Our Lawyers Can Help
If you were hurt because of a car accident, seek assistance from our experienced Naperville car accident lawyers today by calling the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502 for a free case review.
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