You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website.
If you have been injured by another person or company, you may be able to pursue a tort claim to recover monetary compensation for resulting losses. Your compensation should include payment for pain and suffering. Air Freight Cargo
It can be difficult to estimate just how much your discomfort is worth after an injury. That’s why Forbes Advisor has created a pain and suffering calculator that can help you to determine the value of your claim.
Check out the pain and suffering calculator here, along with some tips on how to use it and why it is so important.
Victims who have been hurt by the negligence or wrongdoing of others can pursue a tort claim to recover both economic and non-financial damages. The goal is to “make them whole,” which means restore victims as closely as possible to the position they would have been in had the injury never occurred.
When you have been harmed, you don’t just experience economic damage from missed work or medical bills. You also experience discomfort due to your physical injuries. As a result, you are entitled to be compensated for this pain.
Pain and suffering is one of several kinds of non-economic damages you can collect in a tort claim along with payment for emotional distress and lost quality of life.
How much is your pain worth? This can be a really hard question to answer, which is why accident victims, insurance companies and juries can struggle to put a price on pain and suffering damages.
Insurers have traditionally taken a few different approaches to try to estimate what pain and suffering is worth. Two common options include the following:
A pain and suffering calculator can use both of these approaches to help you estimate how much compensation you should receive for this particular type of loss.
The pain and suffering calculator below allows you to estimate how much your pain and suffering would be worth based on both commonly used methods of estimating its dollar value.
To use the calculator, input the following information:
The calculator then shows you an estimate of your pain and suffering damages for each method.
The information you obtain from the pain and suffering calculator can be helpful in several ways:
Remember, a pain and suffering calculator can only give you an estimate of what your pain is likely worth, though. Not all insurers use these same calculation methods. And there is often disagreement about how severe your injury is, what multiplier should be used or how many days of pain you endured.
Further, many variables affect the total amount of compensation you will receive, including the insurance policy limits of the person who harmed you, the severity of your injuries and how clear cut the evidence is that the defendant was responsible for causing you harm.
If your case is decided in court, the jury also does not have to adhere to either the multiplier or per diem method of calculating pain and suffering. A jury can determine using their own judgment how much compensation is appropriate given the nature and severity of your injuries.
A pain and suffering calculator helps you understand what compensation you should be entitled to due to your discomfort resulting from injuries—but it is not a substitute for legal advice. It is important you speak with an experienced attorney for help negotiating a settlement, estimating how much your individual claim is worth or pursuing a case in court.
An experienced personal injury lawyer can provide insight that goes beyond what a calculator can offer. Your attorney can help you understand in more detail how the law applies to your specific situation, how strong your claim is and what types of compensation you should receive. Contact an attorney as soon as possible after you have been harmed.
If you make a tort claim against someone who hurt you, you are entitled to compensation for pain and suffering. Insurance companies have developed two formulas to calculate an appropriate amount of compensation for pain and suffering including a per diem formula and a multiplier formula.
The per diem formula allows you to receive compensation equal to your typical wages for each day your pain persists. The multiplier formula allows you to receive compensation equal to your actual losses (for medical bills and other costs) times a specific “multiplier.” The multiplier is generally between 1.5 and 5, with larger multipliers used for more serious injury.
These formulas provide a standardized method for insurers to determine compensation they will offer during settlement negotiations although not all insurers use this approach. Regardless of what the formulas dictate, you could try to negotiate for more compensation or a jury could award you a different amount of pain and suffering damages if you pursue a civil case in court.
Pain and suffering damages are available in civil claims when someone harms you, but it can be difficult to calculate the amount due. There are different formulas used to estimate an appropriate amount of compensation for pain and suffering including a formula that allows you to be paid your daily wages for each day your pain endures, as well as a formula that allows you pain and suffering damages equal to a multiple of actual economic losses.
These formulas can be helpful, but they are just a guide. You can try to negotiate a larger amount of compensation for pain and suffering from an insurer responsible for compensating you. Or a jury could potentially award you more substantial compensation for pain and suffering if you pursue a civil claim in court.
Pain and suffering is different from emotional distress. When you pursue a tort claim after someone harms you, you can pursue a claim for both pain and suffering and for emotional distress. You should be compensated for both types of damages—the physical pain you endure and the suffering it causes as well as the emotional damage including mental distress, anxiety and depression you may experience due to the injuries.
Air Freight Cargo Christy Bieber is a personal finance and legal writer with more than a decade of experience. She earned her JD from UCLA School of Law and was an adjunct professor at the start of her career, teaching paralegal studies and related courses. In addition to writing for the web, she has also designed educational courses and written textbooks focused on a variety of legal subjects.