Compensation for Pain and Suffering in Personal Injury Cases
The worst thing about serious injuries is not what happens in the first days and weeks after they happen. It is the way the injury changes your life after you have finished treatment for the acute injury. It may be the frequent headaches or unpredictable anxiety attacks. It is no longer being able to get up and down the stairs without a great deal of effort. It is having to rely on a ride service for people with disabilities to take you to work when you can no longer drive. When you go for a consultation with Tatum O’Brien, Sara Monson, or Tim O’Keeffe – all experienced personal injury attorneys – they may ask you questions about your injury that do not seem related to the details of the accident or the treatment you receive for it. It is the little things that make up the pain and suffering damages in personal injury lawsuits.
Economic and Non-Economic Damages
Personal injury lawsuits usually are not just about requesting that the negligent party pay for the cost of treatment for your injury. In fact, such a situation would only make sense if, after undergoing treatment, you had made a full recovery. North Dakota laws allow for plaintiffs who have sustained serious bodily injury as a result of accidents to be compensated for two different types of damages.
- Past and future economic damages: Past damages are compensation for medical treatment you have already undergone related to the accident, as well as lost income for the time that you missed work. It is usually quite straightforward to calculate these damages.
Future economic damages include compensation for future medical treatment, physical therapy, and assistance you will need because of your injury, as well as the income you will be missing by continuing to be unable to work.
- Past and Future non-economic damages: According to North Dakota law, this category includes compensation for “pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, and other nonpecuniary damage.” Pain and suffering falls into the category of non-economic damages. Non-economic damages can be difficult to quantify; how much a person has suffered is a subjective question, and how to put a price tag on things as intangible as inconvenience and emotional distress is even more subjective.
How Much Money can a Court Award You for Pain and Suffering?
In North Dakota, plaintiffs can specify an amount of non-economic damages they are seeking, if it is under $50,000, or if the amount is more than $50,000, you must simply state that you are requesting a reasonable amount greater than $50,000.
Contact O’Keeffe O’Brien Lyson Foss About Personal Injury Cases
The purpose of personal injury lawsuits is to help injured people avoid financial setbacks caused by their injuries and to help them enjoy the best health possible. Contact O’Keeffe O’Brien Lyson Foss in Fargo, North Dakota or call 701-235-8000 or 877-235-8002 to discuss your case.
