If you've been in a truck accident, you may have a pain and suffering claim. That's because there's much more than medical bills to consider when you've been hurt. Pain and suffering damages can be part of your personal injury claim, and you'll want to seek compensation for your physical pain and emotional distress.
Understanding the best way to do that is very important because your personal injury attorney will need to know how you've been harmed in a truck or car accident. That way, they can work with you on the right type and level of compensation, helping you recover what's fair and just in your particular case. Here's what to consider when you have a pain and suffering claim.
It may seem strange to need to define pain and suffering, but not everyone feels the same way about particular experiences or has the same kind of reaction to harm. You can often use your medical bills to help showcase the extent of your injuries, though, which makes it easier to show the other party and their insurance company the type of harm you've experienced.
If you need ongoing care, that can also be part of the pain and suffering damages. Theoretically, you wouldn't need additional care if you weren't in pain or weren't suffering the aftereffects of the truck accident. Since truck accidents can be very severe, dealing with pain and suffering damages is also understandable.
Insurance companies have guidelines they use to calculate pain and suffering damages. Whether the suffering compensation you receive is "enough" can be argued. Still, it will generally be comparable to the amount received by someone else who experienced similar injuries in their truck accident.
That doesn't necessarily mean that both of you experienced the same pain or level of suffering. Still, there have to be guidelines that the insurance company can use to settle cases fairly for everyone involved. There are two basic methods that insurance companies typically use.
While it may seem cold to put an exact number or method on the pain and suffering damages someone has experienced in a truck accident, insurance companies have developed these methods over time and found them reasonable. Whether you accept the outcome of settlement negotiations or take your case to court, these methods will still be the most likely used.
The multiplier method is a standard option for an insurance company review and damage calculation. This involves adding all the medical bills, lost wages, and other economic damages and multiplying that number by as low as 1.5 and as high as 5.
The difference in the multiplier relates to the extent of the injuries. For example, someone who experienced life-altering injuries and extreme medical bills may see a multiplier of 5, while someone with injuries that will heal up and not last harm might see a multiplier closer to 1.5
An insurance company also uses the per diem method to calculate pain and suffering, but this isn't used as often as the multiplier method. The per diem method assigns a dollar value to one day of assumed damages.
Typically, this dollar value is a day's wages, but it could also be a different number, depending on your case's facts and specific circumstances. Then, that day's number is multiplied by how many days you're affected by your injury. This could be significant compensation for someone with a long-term injury.
The jurisdiction you're in, and the statutory limitations can also affect the pain and suffering damages you receive. Even if you've experienced a lot of physical pain from your injury, you may be limited in what you can collect if your jurisdiction has a cap on these damages.
You also have to be mindful of statutory limitations since you might only be able to claim damages for a set amount of time or up to a particular amount. Even if that's the case in your situation, you still want to work with your personal injury claim attorney to get the maximum compensation you can receive for your particular case.
If you have a pain and suffering claim, you want to ensure you provide the proper evidence for it. That's why working with an experienced attorney is the right choice. This can help you get fair and just compensation and ensure you're providing all the details that will help increase the value of your case and the chances of success.
While your attorney will ask you for all the information they need, the more you have ready to provide them, the faster they can get started on your case. Working with the insurance company and your attorney can give you an advantage, so you can resolve the case and receive your compensation.
Your medical records are some of the most critical information regarding your truck accident claim. That's because these reports showcase the injuries you received and can point your attorney and the insurance company in the right direction as to the value of your case.
This also helps address claims for the physical pain you're experiencing, as that can often be based on the injuries you've experienced in a truck or car accident. Compared with car accident injuries, the pain and suffering compensation for a truck accident can often be higher because the physical injury issues are frequently more severe.
The more complete your records are, the easier it is for you and your attorney to create a personal injury lawsuit that showcases why you deserve the compensation you seek. Like a car accident, a truck accident is one of the most serious personal injury cases you can file regarding the kind of harm that's caused and the level of damages you'll be seeking.
Physical pain isn't the only concern when seeking damages in a personal injury lawsuit. Truck and car accidents can also cause serious problems with mental anguish and emotional distress. These are also part of pain and suffering damages, and you can prove pain in these areas with records from your therapist.
If you've had a psychological evaluation or other therapy related to your accident case, ensure you provide those records to your attorney. That's a meaningful way to show the issues you're facing from your truck accident so that you can receive the proper compensation for all your injuries.
The people who love and care about you can see how you've changed after an accident. You might have lost wages and medical bills, but those are far from the only issues in many truck accident cases. Written testimonies from your family, coworkers, and friends can help put a personal spin on your injuries and show how much the accident has genuinely affected your life.
Pain and suffering calculated by the insurance company might be more or less than expected. That's because there are some specific areas the insurance company looks at to decide what they'll offer as a settlement in your truck or car accident case.
Car accidents typically receive less compensation than truck accidents because the injuries are less severe. However, that's not always true for every accident victim. There are several deciding factors the insurance company and your attorney will address during settlement negotiations.
The severity and extent of your physical injuries matter regarding the settlement you can get for your truck accident case. Your medical expenses and the medical treatment you receive will be a part of your lost income.
Serious injuries generally mean more compensation after a truck or auto accident, and when you seek medical treatment, that will start the process of documenting those injuries. The suffering calculated won't be based just on the extent of your physical injuries, though. There's more to be looked at when you seek compensation.
Along with the physical injuries you sustained, you've also likely experienced emotional pain and suffering from the truck accident. That must be considered when determining damages in your personal injury settlement. Some accidents can be more challenging to come back from than others, and the emotional trauma surrounding the accident could affect you long-term.
Your personal injury lawyers will work with the insurance regarding the length of time you experienced (or most likely will experience) pain and suffering. If you have injuries that will affect your quality of life forever, for example, that's more significant than an injury that will heal in a few months. Both are important to acknowledge, but long-term pain and suffering affect your compensation.
The injury's overall impact on your life is another factor in the compensation you'll receive. If you can't care for yourself, or if your quality of life is significantly diminished, you may find that your compensation is much higher. That's designed to ensure you can get the care you need for the future and receive something in return for what's been taken from you.
You could be offered additional compensation if there are aggravating factors such as negligence or recklessness in your truck accident case. A truck driver who was speeding or texting and caused an accident may be found negligent or reckless, and it's essential to understand how that could affect the overall compensation you receive for your injuries.
The time limit for a personal injury lawsuit is based on the statute of limitations, which states that an accident victim has two years from the accident date to file a claim. It's important not to wait if you've been injured in a truck accident.
Get in touch with an experienced attorney at Ryan LLP if you've been involved in a truck accident. You deserve fair compensation as the injured person, and holding the at-fault driver accountable is important.
Reach out to us today for the help and support you need from a trusted truck accident attorney.
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