How Will the Insurance Company Value my Pain and Suffering?
During any Passaic County personal injury claim, three main types of damages will be sought by the injured party and their attorney. These damages are:
- Compensation for Medical Expenses
- Compensation for Lost Income
- Compensation for Emotional and Physical Pain and Suffering
When it comes to compensation for medical expenses and lost income, while it can often require consultation with experts in medical and financial fields in order to ultimately obtain a final and accurate estimate of the damages you have suffered, it is still possible to obtain a definitive total amount of compensation to seek in your personal injury claim.
However, when it comes to pain and suffering, it can be very difficult to put a number to damages like “emotional distress”, or the actual physical pain you have experienced as a result of your injuries. A broken leg can be extremely painful for one person, or cause a great of stress to someone who relies on being able to walk to perform their job, while another person may not experience as much pain, or may be able to continue performing their work duties despite the injury.
So, how will insurance companies value your pain and suffering, and how much can you expect to recover in your Passaic County personal injury claim? Let’s take a look.
Calculating Pain and Suffering in Passaic County Personal Injury Claims
Understanding how variable one individual’s pain and suffering may be in personal injury claims, most insurance companies have turned to using a common method of calculating pain and suffering.
This method involves classifying injuries in one of two categories: soft tissue injuries, and hard injuries. Soft tissue injuries generally refer to less severe, non life-threatening, and non-permanent injuries such as bruises, strains, and sprains. For soft tissue injuries, insurance companies will usually offer somewhere between one to three times the value of the injured party’s medical expenses as pain and suffering compensation.
On the other hand, hard injuries are usually much more serious, requiring invasive or long-term medical treatment, and on-going or life-long complications for the injured party. For injuries classified as “hard injuries”, insurance companies will usually offer somewhere between four to five times the value of the injured party’s medical expenses as pain and suffering compensation.
Recovering Pain and Suffering Compensation
Clifton, NJ Accident and Injury Lawyers
When it comes to recovering compensation for your pain and suffering, there are two important things to keep in mind.
The first is that these formulas are not set in stone, and how the insurance company classifies your injuries, and thus the compensation they will offer you, depends much upon your unique situation, and the arguments your Clifton personal injury lawyer will make on your behalf. A torn ligament may be considered a soft tissue injury for some, while for others it may take much longer to heal, or cause a particularly great deal of emotional or physical pain, and thus may be classified instead as a hard injury.
The second important thing to keep in mind is that just because the insurance company will make an offer based on these standards, doesn’t mean you have to accept that offer. Your attorney will be able to advise you when additional compensation may be possible through further litigation, or when they believe a settlement offer may likely be the best that will be made.
Contact Our Passaic County Personal Injury Law Firm Today
At The Law Office of Fredson and Statmore, our attorneys have over 50 years of experience recovering full and fair compensation in personal injury cases of all kinds for clients across Wayne, Clifton, Paterson, West Milford, and the greater Passaic County area.
Whether you have been injured in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, by a drunk driver, in a construction accident, in a bus or train accident, by a poorly maintained premises, or any other kind of accident resulting from the reckless or negligent actions of another party, our firm is prepared to provide you with the knowledgeable, attentive, and compassionate legal service that you need and deserve.
With many million dollar verdicts and settlements already recovered for our past clients, our track record of success and effective service speaks for itself.
To speak with our firm today in a free and confidential consultation regarding your accident, your injuries, and your options for recovering compensation through a personal injury claim, please contact us online.
