There’s More to “Pain and Suffering” Than You Think

The term “pain and suffering” is often used in personal injury cases. And while the words themselves have an obvious meaning, in personal injury cases, they actually mean more than you might think.

Pain and suffering is an all-around, general term, that describes what is a broad category of non-economic damages. Non-economic damages are those damages that can’t be counted or quantified, like a medical bill or lost wages can be counted.

Yes, pain and suffering includes just that–your physical pain–but an accident victim can be compensated for much more than just physical pain.

Loss of the Quality of Life – Are there things that you used to do that brought fulfillment, joy, pleasure, accomplishment or value to your life? We all have them. Whether it’s playing an instrument, playing a sport, riding a bike, walking in a shopping mall, dancing, or anything else–your life is much different, when you can no longer do the things that once gave your life meaning, happiness and value.

Grief – Grief can include grief over the loss of a loved one killed in an accident. But it can also be grief over the loss of the ability to do the things you once did because of your injuries.

Anybody who has lost a loved one, knows grief. That grief is magnified, when you lose a loved one that you didn’t have to lose, because of someone else’s negligence.

Fear – It is natural to fear the future. But after an accident, fearing for the future takes on new dimensions.

Accident victims may have fear about what medical care they will need later on, or how, being injured, they will raise their child, or how they will provide for their family if they can no longer work. They may simply fear going through life without use of a limb, or fear the pain of medical procedures.

Fear can also manifest as anxiety. For example, someone in a car accident at an intersection, may have a long lasting fear of driving through traffic intersections in the future. PTSD can even set in.

Anger – Like fear, anger is a natural reaction to having suffered a loss, through no fault of your own. Anger can make it hard to cope, go to work, or engage in social interactions.

Disfigurement – Some injuries cause permanent and obviously visible disfigurement. It might be through scarring or visibly needing to use medical devices, or a burn. Even private disfigurement-that is, disfigurement somewhere on the body normally covered by clothing–is a loss.

Disfigurement often results in a loss of self esteem, isolation from social relationships, embarrassment, and loss of self confidence.

Loss of Intimacy – This can be the loss of intimate activities, like walking or dancing or doing activities which bring us closer to our partners, as well as the loss of the desire or ability to engage in sexual intimacy. Sometimes our injuries physically deprive us of intimacy, and other times, the depression or sadness or anxiety that comes with our injuries, leads to a loss of intimacy.

No matter what kind, in serious accidents, our personal relationships can suffer or even deteriorate.

Pain and suffering after an accident is real, and you deserve compensation for what you are struggling with. Call our Boston personal injury lawyers at The Law Office of Joseph Linnehan, Jr. today at 617-275-4200.

Source:

law.cornell.edu/wex/loss_of_consortium