What constitutes pain and suffering in a personal injury lawsuit?
What constitutes pain and suffering in a personal injury lawsuit?
Pain and suffering is the most essential element to any personal injury claim, so it's important for people to know what it means. The term is pretty much self-explanatory; pain and suffering refers to the mental and physical trauma that results from an event that causes physical damage. There are two types of pain and suffering—general and special. General pain and suffering is what most people think of when they hear the term—the mental anguish caused by the accident or its aftermath, like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or anxiety. Special pain and suffering refers to physical damage caused by the incident, like medical bills and lost wages due to the injuries sustained.
People can receive compensatory damages for their pain and suffering in addition to punitive damages. Compensatory damages are intended to cover losses such as medical expenses, future medical care, loss of income, property damage, lost wages, or earning potential, loss of companionship or society as a result of an injury inflicted by someone else's negligence. Punitive damages exist solely because juries want to punish parties who have committed acts that are especially egregious in nature.
If you have any questions or need a Personal Injury Lawyer, please call this law firm for a free consultation.
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S Redwood Road Suite C
West Jordan UT 84088
(801) 676-5506