Determining Pain and Suffering Costs in a Texas Car Accident Claim

After a car accident, the bills you incur can be daunting. Families are often left wondering how they are going to deal with the financial burden on top of the physical and emotional pain they’ve experienced because of such a tragic event. If you or a loved one was involved in a car wreck in San Antonio, you are entitled to recoupment for your troubles. A San Antonio auto injury lawyer can be there to make sure you get the compensation you deserve. Carabin Shaw is a team of seasoned attorneys dedicated to helping victims just like yourself fight against greedy insurance companies. If you’ve been searching for a “car accident lawyer near me” to understand what kind of compensation you may be entitled to, you’ve come to the right place. We are experts at determining pain and suffering costs in a Texas car accident claim.

When one is involved in a car accident in San Antonio, there are two types, legally, of damages: economic and non-economic. Economic damages are tangible monetary losses such as medical bills, property damage, and loss of income. Non-economic damages are monetary compensation for pain and suffering that has impacted the quality of your life, including loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, emotional distress, etc. An attorney can further explain the differences between these types of damages.

In nearly every case involving a car accident, a plaintiff is entitled to compensation for their pain and suffering, but the amount you can recover will vary greatly depending on your unique circumstances. To learn more, discuss the details of your case with a San Antonio auto injury lawyer.

Although there is not a universal standard for how pain and suffering costs are calculated, almost every San Antonio car accident lawyer will use one of two methods to determine the pain and suffering costs for your case.

The first approach most often used by a lawyer involves using a multiplier. Essentially, you would begin by adding up all of your economic damages (medical bills, loss of income, etc) and multiplying that by a number usually between 1.5-5. What multiplier you use is determined by a number of factors like the amount of times you had to visit the doctor or hospital, the length of your recovery, and the extent of the procedures you had to undergo, if any. Generally, the higher the cost of your economic damages, the higher the multiplier would be because more medical bills would indicate a more extensive and intensive recovery. If you have questions about how this works, an attorney can assist you.

The second method is the “per diem” method, which assigns a value per day that you suffered because of your accident. Typically, this value is related to your salary at work. For instance, if you make $150 a day and had a 3-month recovery period, your pain and suffering cost estimate would be $13,500 ($150 x 90 days). A lawyer can further explain how to use the per diem method.

Determining pain and suffering costs in a Texas car accident claim can be complicated. Furthermore, the pain and suffering you estimate and what the insurance company offers may be strikingly different. Knowing how to negotiate with insurers and whether it’s in your interest to settle or take your case to court is a decision best left to an experienced San Antonio auto injury lawyer. At Carabin Shaw, we know how to assess the value of your case and make sure you get every penny you are owed. You’ve been looking for the right car accident lawyer near me—now you’ve found us. Call today and speak with a San Antonio car accident lawyer who will win you the compensation you deserve.

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