Deciding Which Charges to Pursue

Posted on: 15 August 2022

Pain and suffering after a car accident is easily misunderstood. Those who are hurt because of another driver's actions may believe they are not entitled to payment for pain and suffering. Other victims assume that they are owed a huge sum for their pain and suffering. For some guidance on what pain and suffering mean and how you can be paid, read below.

Pain and Suffering, Legally Speaking

Car accidents can impose several types of damage on victims. If the other driver was at fault for the accident, victims are likely to be entitled to payment for their medical expenses, lost income from work, vehicle loss or repairs, and pain and suffering.

"Pain and suffering" is coverage for the mental effects of the accident. The accident itself may sometimes cause psychological trauma. For instance, many drivers who have been in an accident suffer from anxiety about driving again and may experience post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).

By and large, though, pain and suffering is connected to physical injuries. When you are hurt in an accident, you may go through a lot of painful and uncomfortable medical procedures to set things right. Victims may experience a host of problems that all lead back to their medical situation, such as:

• Lack of mobility. Some victims are unable to walk without help and may not be able to move about freely.
• Humiliation. It can be embarrassing when you need help attending to toileting activities.
• The side effects of prescribed medications. Medications you are now required to take may be complicating your life. 
• Confinement. In some cases, important life events are missed because the victim is in the hospital.
• Pain, stiffness, and exhaustion. When your body hurts, it can affect your mood, sleep, appetite, and more.

Keeping Up with Pain and Suffering

The above list of examples of pain and suffering is far from complete. If you have been hurt in a car accident, you can likely add to that list with your own examples of discomfort, personal relationship problems, work issues, and more.

The easiest way to keep up with pain and suffering so that you can be paid for this form of damage is to use a pain journal. A simple spiral notebook or a phone notetaking app will do. Record what you are going through each day because of the accident. This journal will come in handy when you speak to your personal injury lawyer and the subject of pain and suffering arises.

To find out more about pain and suffering, speak to a car accident lawyer.