If you suffered a car accident in Fresno, California, then you might be wondering if you can be compensated for pain and suffering, apart from your injuries and property damages. Although non-economic damages such as pain and suffering can be awarded to you if you suffered an accident, California doesn’t have a straightforward way to calculate these intangible damages.
For the most part, you can recover up to $250,000 in pain and suffering or other non-economic damages if you work with a Fresno car accident attorney. However, the most difficult part of achieving such sums is proving your pain and suffering, and here is what you should know!
Demonstrating Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering, along with other non-economic or intangible damages such as PTSD, emotional distress, grief, and others, can be awarded to car accident victims as long as they are able to prove such sufferings or prove that they will suffer from such things in the future.
To do this, car accident victims must work closely with a personal injury lawyer that can guide them through the process of their claim and help them gather proof. A victim will be awarded more in pain and suffering or other non-economic damages depending on the evidence available.
For example, certain conditions can be used as straightforward evidence for pain and suffering, such as:
- Permanent disfiguration
A permanent disfiguration clearly leads to pain and suffering since the victim will be scared for the rest of their lives. Since disfiguration can easily lead to depression, loss of self-esteem, and other psychological conditions, it will negatively affect a victim’s life. This is even truer for victims that are models, actors, and so forth.
- Anticipated long-term recovery
If a victim’s injuries are severe, the recovery time usually lasts longer. A longer recovery time also means pain and suffering for the victim as they are unable to enjoy their day-to-day life or perform their regular activities as before.
- High medical costs or disablement
High medical costs usually mean severe injuries that will take a long time to heal. Permanent disabilities can clearly turn anyone’s life upside down as they will never recover their lost limbs and, therefore, will live for the rest of their lives disabled and perhaps unable to work.
These are just a couple of examples that can easily be used to prove pain and suffering or other non-economic damages.
Documents For Pain and Suffering
In California, you don’t need documented mental health symptoms to receive compensation for your pain and suffering or other non-economic damages. However, such documents can nonetheless help you build a stronger claim for those damages.
If you are diagnosed with PTSD, depression, insomnia, anxiety, or other mental or emotional symptoms, you can use those documents as proof for your claim. The stronger and more detailed evidence you have, the higher your chances of receiving a more substantial settlement. Work closely with a personal injury lawyer to learn more and receive your rightful compensation amount!
