If you get injured and pursue legal action against an insurer, some damages are easier to calculate than others. If you missed paychecks, it’s easy to tell someone how much you lost in wages. If you have pain and suffering relating to your injuries, then that’s a bit harder to calculate. Insurance companies have their ways of figuring these things out though, and if you really want to fight for maximum compensation you should consider hiring a San Angelo, Texas brain injury lawyer from our firm.
Will My Insurance Pay Out for Pain and Suffering?
When you get into a car crash, you can go through your own insurance policy for some compensation. However, this is usually limited to payments for your medical expenses and lost wages. You will not get pain and suffering compensation.
To do that, you generally have to sue someone else and pursue a personal injury case against them. Their insurance policy is the one that pays out for pain and suffering and other non-economic damages. This is the case whether you get into a car crash, slip and fall at a store, or get injured by a defective product. The negligent party who created a dangerous situation should be the one to compensate you.
What Evidence Can Be Used to Show Pain and Suffering?
You can use different types of evidence to convince an insurer that your injuries caused pain and suffering and that they should settle with you. An attorney from our firm can help you build a potent case using:
- Your medical bills
- Photos of your injuries
- Prescription records
- Testimony from doctors and mental health professionals who treated you
The stronger your case, the more likely you are to secure the type of compensation that you deserve.
How Can a Settlement Be Calculated?
When an insurer calculates pain and suffering, they look at your injuries, how they will affect you going forward, and what your road to recovery looks like. The more severe your injuries, the higher the “multiplier” your case might receive.
This multiplier is a number between 1.5 and 5. Insurers can take this number and multiply it by your medical expenses to determine what they should pay someone for pain and suffering. So let’s say that someone has significant injuries and the insurer gives them a multiplier of 3. This person has $5,000 in medical bills. Then the insurer would award them $15,000 in pain and suffering compensation.
Contact Our Law Firm Today
If you have been injured and someone else is to blame, our law firm can help you hold them accountable. Contact the Mathis Law Firm and schedule a free consultation with our team. We would be happy to take a closer look at your case.