A personal injury lawyer in Katy, Texas can help you pursue financial recovery for pain and suffering after an auto accident. Learn how the court calculates this type of non-economic cost.
How Do Courts Calculate Pain and Suffering? Guidance From a Personal Injury Lawyer in Katy, Texas
Texas law allows auto accident victims to recover non-economic damages. This category includes pain and suffering as well as mental anguish, loss of life enjoyment, loss of companionship, and other areas that may suffer after a severe injury. However, the state doesn’t establish a formula to calculate pain and suffering. The jury will determine the amount based on the facts presented in your lawsuit.
Unlike many states, Texas does not cap personal injury recovery in most circumstances. Your lawyer may use the multiplier method to estimate a fair amount. They multiply your economic damages (medical bills, for example) by a number between 1.5 and 5 based on the severity of your injuries. In other words, if you have a moderately serious injury, they would multiply the total economic damages by three.
Ways to Prove Pain and Suffering
You will need comprehensive documentation of physical and emotional pain and suffering to receive financial compensation. Evidence may include medical testimony from your healthcare provider or an expert witness, photos and videos that illustrate the impact of your injuries, and journal entries that describe how your life has changed since the accident and how the pain affects your day-to-day life. A car accident lawyer in Katy, Texas can help build a case with convincing evidence.
An experienced car accident lawyer can guide the next steps if you’re suffering the effects of an auto accident injury. They will review your case and determine whether you may be eligible to sue for damages like pain and suffering. It’s important to act quickly since you must file a lawsuit within two years of the date of the accident.
