How much do you get for pain and suffering?

I’ve Been Injured! How Much Can I Get for Pain and Suffering?

When you’re the victim of an accident or the negligence of another party, you may be entitled to a judgement in your favor. That doesn’t only include money paid out as compensation for medical costs and lost wages when you are away from work, however. You can also make a claim for pain and suffering as a result of the incident. How much do you get for pain and suffering? That depends on a few factors, and there are a couple ways to create an estimate for your expected compensation.

The Per Day Method

The first way to determine your estimated payment amount is the per day method. Under this method you must first determine how long you were unable to resume your normal life as a results of the injuries you suffered in the accident. Next you determine a daily value for your pain and suffering. Common considerations include the money you lost out on as a result of the changes to your life, like your daily income lost and medical bills accrued. Simply multiply your daily value by the number of days to create an estimate. Whatever amount you set, you should be prepared to justify why you deserve it.

The Multiplication Method

For the multiplier method you instead start with the money you have lost, once again including both money you had to spend and money you would have earned which you were unable to. From there, a simple multiplier is applied to the number in order to determine your estimated pain and suffering amount. The standard range for the multiplier is between 1.5 and five, depending on the severity of the injuries.

Understanding the Severity of Your Injuries

In both methods of calculating your losses, the severity of your injuries is an important factor to understand. If you only suffered a minor sprain, you shouldn’t expect to achieve a multiplier of five, or a daily rate significantly above your financial losses. On the other hand, if you were the victim of a serious injury you can likely achieve a much higher payout under both of the calculation methods.

Finding Your Estimate

Although there is no perfect way to get an exact estimate of your payout potential, then you shouldn’t rely on just one of the methods. Instead, perform an independent estimate using both the per day method and the multiplication method. Once you have, look for the average in between the two for a good estimate of you compensation amount.