How to Calculate Pain and Suffering Costs for a Friend

If a lower multiplier is used in your case, you won’t be likely to receive as much pain and suffering compensation. Hiring a lawyer who can fight for the maximum multiplier, and therefore recovery is key. 

There are several different factors in determining the right kind of multiplier to assign to a pain and suffering case. These include the period of recovery, clear illustration of the pain and suffering based on proven documents, the seriousness of the injuries, such as whether or not the person has sustained a permanent disability, and the obviousness of the other person's fault. Remember that even when going through the process of figuring out how to calculate pain and suffering damages for a friend, this is simply an estimate, and there is no promise or guarantee that you will receive that full amount. 

You want to work with a legal team that has experience in calculating these numbers correctly. This can greatly increase your chances of success and help you to know whether or not a settlement amount that has been presented to you is fair and in line with the injuries that you have sustained. It can be difficult to go through this on your own, which is probably why you are helping a friend to do it.

Another aspect of this you need to understand is appropriate evidence of pain and suffering. Pain and suffering damages should be supported by evidence. And in some cases, doctor's notes or medical records may be sufficient. However, if your friend has sustained multiple injuries, you may need to gather other supporting documents like medical treatment bills, photos of the injuries, and police reports. You may also need to include witness testimonies where applicable. In some more serious cases involving pain and suffering, the personal injury attorney may wish to bring in outside professionals known as expert witnesses. These expert witnesses work to share their insight into how the person's life has been affected. 

Bear in mind that the defense in this particular situation will likely argue back as well to minimize their potential responsibilities. It is important to have a legal team who has extensive experience in going through this process and someone who can help answer your questions as they arise, especially if you are helping a friend.

Having evidence about how the accident has changed the scope of their life is important. For example, if your friend used to play sports before the accident but is now unable to do so, that information could be used to illustrate the accident’s impact. Work with a qualified lawyer to learn more about gathering this kind of evidence. 

If you have no evidence of pain and suffering, it will be difficult, if not impossible to get pain and suffering covered. There are criticisms of the multiplier method. So it is important to make sure that you have the right kind of evidence to support your legal claim and have greater clarity over what to anticipate. The more prepared you are to go into a legal case like this, the easier it will be for you to move forward with helping your friend and to gather the necessary evidence to support their claim.

If they have received a pain and suffering estimate from the insurance company that feels unfair or unnecessarily low, given the injuries they have sustained, you will need to share this information with your friend and potentially even your personal injury lawyer for further clarification and support. It can be difficult to navigate the situation on your own, but retaining an attorney is crucial because of the difficulty that is faced in these complex circumstances. Pain and suffering can be very difficult to calculate, and it can be very frustrating for you or your friend to realize that the other side is attempting to delay or minimize the injuries and damages associated with the accident. Prepare yourself by retaining legal counsel who has the right experience.

The sooner you can hire a lawyer, the easier it will be to assist your friend with preparing a comprehensive case. Make sure you talk about your next steps about how to proceed with these kinds of legal claims. Pain and suffering damages will never return someone’s life to what it was before an accident, but it can help them move on to a new chapter. 

When it comes to recovery of compensation after an accident, get a legal team that can support the full needs of the injured victim. Contact Morgan & Morgan for assistance with your next steps today. We know what it takes to file a claim and fight for the victim from beginning to end.