When it comes to your personal injury case, the Washington, D.C. court may not impose a cap on the amount of economic and non-economic damages you may be compensated for. With this, though, you may still find it difficult to determine an accurate and reasonable financial award to seek for your non-economic damages, such as your pain and suffering. Rest assured, the court may adopt certain methods for assigning a monetary value to such damages. Follow along to find out how pain and suffering may be calculated and how a proficient Washington, D.C. injury lawyer at Simeone & Miller, LLP can fight on your behalf for fair compensation.
How is pain and suffering calculated in a personal injury case?
By nature, non-economic damages are considered to be the subjective, non-monetary losses you incurred due to your personal injury accident. Further, pain and suffering refers to the chronic and debilitating physical and emotional turmoil you experience in the months, years, and indefinite future following your accident. This is all to say that the monetary value of pain and suffering and non-economic damages alike are difficult to compute. However, two methods are commonly used to do so by the Washington, D.C. court.
For one, there is the multiplier method. This takes the total cost of your economic damages and multiplies it by a factor ranging from 1.5 to five to reach the total cost of your non-economic damages. For example, if you prove to have incurred $5,000 in economic damages, and the court selects a multiplier of two, then you may receive an additional $10,000 for your non-economic damages. Of note, the multiplier that the court chooses depends on the severity of your accident, among other things.
Secondly, there is the per diem method. This takes your total per diem value and multiplies it by the length of your recovery. For example, if you prove your per diem value as $100 and that you reach a full recovery after 100 days, then you may receive $10,000 for your non-economic damages. Notably, your total per diem value is based on similar factors that influence the multiplier in the multiplier method.
What factors are considered when valuating pain and suffering?
To reiterate, the Washington, D.C. court evaluates many aspects of your accident when deciding how to calculate the total cost of your pain and suffering. Such factors may include the following:
- The total amount of wages you lost.
- The total amount you paid in medical bills.
- The total amount you paid to repair your property.
- The strength of medical records in demonstrating the severity and extent of your injuries.
- The strength of testimonies made by witnesses, loved ones, and medical providers in supporting your claims.
All in all, to be fairly compensated for your pain and suffering, you must turn to a talented Washington, D.C. injury lawyer. So please get in touch with us at Simeone & Miller, LLP as soon as you get a free chance.