Unfortunately, driving can be dangerous. Sometimes someone’s negligent operation of their vehicle can result in a car accident. Car accidents can result in both property damage and injuries. Between the bills for treatment of injuries and the costs to repair your vehicle, a car accident can be very costly. Besides the financial costs of an accident, there may also be costs in the way of pain and suffering following an accident. If you are not at fault for a car accident, it may be possible to receive compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced from the accident as well as the medical bills and vehicle repairs.

There are different types of damages that can arise after a car accident. The type of damage that people often think of first are the damages that are associated with a specific economic harm. Damages associated with a specific economic harm can include the damage to your motor vehicle, medical expenses resulting from injuries sustained in the accident and any loss of wages because of missed work. There are also general damages that can be associated with an accident. General damages cover things that were not covered in damages with a specific economic harm. Some examples of general damages include pain and suffering, loss of companionship and emotional distress.

While specific economic harm damages can be easy to evaluate through the use of medical bills or those from auto repair shops, general damages such as pain and suffering can be much more difficult to evaluate. It can be hard to find evidence to demonstrate how much pain and suffering that someone has experienced. Pain and suffering can be viewed very subjectively. There are some factors that may be considered in determining the value of someone’s pain and suffering. Some of these include severity of the injury, recovery time needed, amount claimed in special damages and the potential for ongoing consequences.

Because of the difficulty in assessing pain and suffering, it is a good idea to contact a car accident attorney. An experienced car accident attorney, such as the ones at Martin Law Office, can help ensure that you will be fairly compensated for your medical bills, auto repairs and wage loss, but also the pain and suffering resulting from the accident.