Car accidents can cause more than just physical injuries. They also bring emotional distress and mental anxiety that many refer to as “pain and suffering.”
In Ohio, you may receive compensation for these non-physical damages if you’ve sustained injuries in a car accident.
What is pain and suffering?
Pain and suffering refers to the physical and emotional stress that an accident and its aftermath cause. Physical pain can include ongoing discomfort, chronic pain, or long-term medical conditions that stem from the accident.
Emotional suffering can cover issues like anxiety, depression, or fear of driving again. In severe cases, people may even experience post-traumatic stress disorder. Pain and suffering compensation tries to address these long-term effects, although it’s often harder to measure than purely financial losses.
How do courts and insurers calculate pain and suffering compensation?
Ohio does not have a fixed formula for calculating pain and suffering. Instead, insurance companies and courts look at several factors to determine a fair amount.
These include the severity of your injuries, how long the recovery process is likely to take, and how much the injuries have impacted your daily life. For example, if you’ve suffered a permanent disability, you may receive more compensation than if you recovered fully after a few months. In addition to your medical records, the court may also consider things like your age, how your injuries affect your ability to work, and any statements from doctors or family members.
A popular way to arrive at a value for these noneconomic damages is using the “multiplier method.” This involves multiplying your medical bills by a number (often between 1.5 and 5) based on the severity of your injuries. The court or insurer then adds that amount to the measurable compensation for medical costs and lost income.
Anyone who goes through a life-altering automobile collision has a right to fair compensation. If an accident injured you, don’t forget that you can recover damages for pain and suffering.
