If you were recently injured in an accident, you may be dealing with chronic pain that interferes with your daily life, including your ability to enjoy hobbies, spend time with friends and family members, and even simply rest and relax. You also might be struggling with mental distress due to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder—all of which may be caused or aggravated by your injury.
At Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers, we believe injured victims deserve full damages for their physical pain and emotional suffering. However, we also know that many victims either don’t know how to get fair compensation for their pain and suffering, or they don’t know how to get it at all! We’ve helped countless injured victims get non-economic (pain and suffering) damages, and we want to help you, too.
Keep reading to learn 10 ways to maximize your chances of getting a full settlement for your pain and suffering.
- Call A Lawyer
Seek the advice of an Oklahoma personal injury attorney with a track record of success winning many different types of injury claims. Ideally, the lawyer you choose should prioritize their clients’ full recoveries, which often goes beyond simply securing fast and easy settlements for them.
- Document Your Injuries
Ensure you have thorough and well-documented records of your injuries. This includes medical records, photographs of injuries, statements from your doctor and other specialists, and any other relevant documents related to your accident and injuries. Proper documentation of what you’re going through will strengthen your case for getting pain and suffering damages.
- Get Immediate Medical Treatment
It’s crucial to seek medical attention promptly after an injury. Delaying treatment could be used against you, as the opposing party may argue that the gap in time between becoming injured and seeking treatment was because your pain and suffering isn’t related to the accident and that your injuries were caused by someone or something else at another time.
- Follow Your Doctor’s Orders
If you’ve been prescribed a treatment plan or therapy by your doctor, it’s important to follow it as closely as possible. Injured victims who ignore their doctors’ orders are often more likely to have their pain and suffering claims denied. That’s because insurance companies may argue their injuries aren’t as serious as they claim.
- Keep A Pain Journal
Maintain a journal or diary to record your daily experiences and the impact of the injury on your life. Describing your pain in detail, including how it fluctuates over time and how it prevents you from doing the things you love, can paint a clearer picture of the way your injuries are affecting your life.
- Get Statements from Friends, Family, And Coworkers
Collect statements from the people who know you best, including your friends, family members, and coworkers (if you’re able to work). Their statements can strengthen your claim for pain and suffering compensation, as they can provide a third-party description of the way your injuries are preventing you from living a normal life.
- Calculate Your Economic Damages
The amount of money you’re owed for medical bills and lost wages can play a big role in your pain and suffering damages. In Oklahoma, non-economic damages are often calculated by a multiplier method which involves multiplying economic damages (medical expenses and lost wages) by a number between 1.5 and 5. The greater your economic damages, the higher potential for your non-economic damages when calculating your compensation.
- Speak With Experts
Your attorney may engage expert witnesses, such as medical professionals or economists, to speak on your behalf in order to strengthen your case. Expert witnesses can deliver objective views of the way injured victims like you suffer after accidents. For example, an orthopedic surgeon can describe how your back injury makes sleeping difficult, and a psychiatrist can describe how your post-traumatic stress disorder can make it difficult to drive or even ride in a vehicle after a crash.
- Negotiate For More Money
Even when insurance companies agree to pay pain and suffering damages to victims, they rarely agree upfront to pay them the amount of money they truly deserve. Your lawyer can negotiate with the insurance company to get you full and fair compensation for your pain and suffering.
- Prepare for Trial
If a fair settlement can’t be reached for your pain and suffering, you may need to go to trial. Your lawyer will handle virtually every aspect of the trial, and they will advise you on any steps where you need to be present or take an active role. Although we work hard to avoid trial, we aren’t afraid of stepping foot in the courtroom if it means getting our clients the money they’re owed.
Our Oklahoma Personal Injury Lawyers Are Here for You
Pain and suffering damages are an integral part of all injury claims. The impact injuries have on victims often goes far beyond affecting their ability to work and afford their medical bills. They can affect every aspect of their daily lives, and when their lives are that significantly interrupted, they deserve compensation.
The legal team at Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers takes pain and suffering damages seriously, and we want to ensure you get fair compensation for your pain, whether it’s physical, mental, emotional, or all three. Contact us today for a free consultation.
