How is Pain and Suffering Calculated in a Louisville Car Accident?

How Much is Pain and Suffering Worth in a Louisville Car Accident?

It’s very hard to put a number on how much something like pain after a car accident is worth. At the same time, one of the most troubling parts of any car accident is your injuries and the pain and suffering you go through because of them.

While there’s no exact formula for figuring out how much your pain and suffering is worth, it’s much like your other damages in a claim in that you’re going to have to show the extent of your injuries and how it’s impacted you. This means doing the following after the accident:

Keep records – After a car accident in Louisville, save all documents related to your injuries and care, like hospital visits, doctor notes, prescriptions, and physical therapy. These are pivotal in showing how the accident has impacted you physically and financially.

Get statements – Ask doctors, surgeons, and even friends or family who’ve seen you struggle to provide statements. Their statements help show how serious your injuries are. Medical experts can also explain the long-term effects of your injuries.

Keep a journal – Write down how your injuries impact your daily life. For example, if walking, lifting, or sleeping has become more painful, record it. This helps show how much your life has changed since the accident.

Show life changes – Show how the accident has impacted your ability to enjoy your life. If you can no longer do activities you love, like hobbies, spending time with family, or working, this is important to include in your claim.

Like any legal claim, the more evidence you can show, the stronger your claim will be. But remember, everybody responds to injuries differently. That means you have to be specific when showing how pain and suffering from a car accident has affected you. Also, it’s important to look at the claims process itself to see how you recover pain and suffering and other damages.

How Are Damages Recovered After a Louisville Car Accident?

After a car accident in Louisville, you can recover damages for your pain and suffering by filing an injury claim. This is your main legal protection against the negligence of someone else. Whether this happens in a car accident or some other accident, your options for filing are basically the same, filing either:

An insurance claim

A personal injury lawsuit

Kentucky law allows you to seek “damages”, which are often paid through the at-fault party’s insurance company. In addition to pain and suffering, you can recover other types of damages, like:

Medical expenses – These cover your medical bills, surgeries, medications, therapy, and other treatment costs.

Lost wages – These damages cover you for wages you lost due to your injuries and includes future earnings if you can’t return to work.

Property damage – These cover repair or replacement costs for damaged property, like your car or phone.

Emotional distress – Another non-economic damage relates to psychological issues like anxiety, depression, or PTSD caused by the accident.

Loss of enjoyment of life – This covers the inability to enjoy activities and life as you did before the accident, as well as changes to your personal relationships caused by the accident.

In Kentucky, it’s required to file your claim within the statute of limitations, which is typically one year from the accident date. Missing this deadline means you won’t be able to recover any damages, regardless of how strong your case is. So, moving quickly is key. But it’s also important to look at what pain and suffering results from a car accident.

What Pain and Suffering Happens in a Louisville Car Accident?

When you think about being in a car accident, you probably think about injuries and just how inconvenient it all is. This is actually the main reason that pain and suffering is offered as a potential means of support in an injury claim. But specifically, your pain and suffering damages are going to be closely related to your injuries. And in a typical car accident, there’s a lot of different ways pain and suffering could be immense:

Physical pain – The actual physical pain that comes with injuries like broken bones, whiplash, burns, or head trauma is a clear indicator of the pain and suffering with a car accident. Worse, it can last well after the accident itself.

Emotional suffering – Anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can often develop after a car accident in Louisville, especially if the crash was severe or life-threatening.

Loss of quality of life – Many times, your injuries keep you from participating in activities you once enjoyed, such as playing sports, spending time with loved ones, or pursuing hobbies, this loss can deeply affect your quality of life.

Chronic pain – With some injuries, especially involving nerve damage or spinal injuries, there may be long-term or permanent pain, which can significantly impact your daily routine and well-being.

You never want to be in a car accident in Louisville, but this is something that is unfortunately common. Even though the pain and suffering that you go through can be extensive, you can rely on our team of experienced Louisville car accident lawyers for support and guidance.

Legal Help From Kaufman & Stigger After a Car Accident in Louisville

Dealing with injuries from a car accident in Louisville can be overwhelming and painful. If you’ve been hurt, don’t wait to contact our team of experienced Louisville car accident lawyers at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC. We’re to guide you through the legal process and help you recover financial support for your pain, suffering, and other losses. To get started, contact us today for a free consultation.