What Affects Pain and Suffering Damages
In a personal injury case, there are numerous factors that are significantly influential in determining the amount of compensation you may receive. The more fully aware you are of these factors, the more knowledgeable and the more able you become in order to make certain that you are fully compensated. The two main, most basic factors affecting pain and suffering damages are the type of injury you have suffered and the nature of your medical treatment. However, there are supplementary factors you can emphasize to an insurance adjuster in order to make him/her more aware of your pain and suffering. Identifying these factors will also allow you to better document them and strengthen your case.
Medication paints a portrait of proof for your pain and suffering. Prescriptions and doses of medications you ingested to ease the pain this accident has caused you serve as valuable evidence to an adjuster concerning the seriousness of your injury. The first goal of an insurance adjuster is to obtain concrete evidence, and prescriptions serve as ideal concrete evidence that a medical professional believed your injury was painful enough that medicinal substances were necessary and needed.
The length of recovery time you require to return to your prior state of wellness is crucial information the insurance adjuster will use as another determinant of the pain and suffering damages awarded. The longer your recover period is, the greater the pain and suffering, the greater the compensation received.
Doctor visits for any supplementary period following your accident serve as a convincing indicator that your pain and suffering lasted well after the accident, and this pain and suffering added to your inability to live in the fashion you did prior to the injury.
If you are fully aware of these factors, you have all of the resources and knowledge needed to document the necessary evidence and proof. This evidence will allow you to obtain the entirety of the compensation you deserve due to the tragic repercussions you have experienced as a result of your injury. You have the power to prove it.
1. Immediately following the accident, fully report the totality of pain and discomfort you are experiencing to your medical professional. This is the most effective way to inform the adjuster of influential information like the length of your recovery time. Having facts indicated in your medical records by reporting the status of your injury to your physician is of the utmost importance for your case. Your recovery time will be documented in your medical records by indicating to your doctor your progress or lack thereof. All ongoing injuries and your expected recovery time will be documented in the same medical records that you will later send to your insurance company as part of your claim.
2. If you are still experiencing significant pain for an extended period of time following the accident, do not feel too shy, stubborn, or brave to request medication. Remember, medication is concrete evidence to an adjuster that your injury was serious in the eyes of a medical professional.
3. Do not presume your injury will simply disappear if you ignore it. Scheduling additional doctor visits if you are still experiencing pain will not only help you in your path to good health, but it will also serve as extremely significant evidence to an adjuster.
4. We cannot stress enough the importance of documentation throughout this difficult time. If any of the pain and discomfort you might be experiencing as a result of your accident is interfering with your daily ability to live life as you normally would, be sure to document this. Make records and notes of any discomfort, soreness, aches and pains, injuries, and any difficulty you experience with regular, daily activities. If your pain has made your family life difficult or affected you in the workplace, be sure to make note of this. Keeping a log, diary, or journal of your experiences as a consequence of the accident can be useful when explaining damages to an adjuster. You may believe this is such an awful time in your life that you will never forget it, and your memories of this tragedy will never fade. However, memories can and will fade quickly. Thus, documentation can be prime evidence in proving that you have experienced tremendous pain and suffering.
5. If you have obtained injuries that are externally visible, be sure to take photographs of these injuries for proper evidence of them. Photograph any wounds, swelling, or discoloration you experience as a result of the accident. Again, this can serve as concrete evidence of your pain. Be sure to indicate the date each photo was taken on the photograph.
Following these tips will allow you the peace and mind that comes with knowing you have been compensated fairly and adequately. You may rest well at night with the knowledge that your accident is behind you, and now, you have been given the resources to attempt to continue your life as it was prior to this occurrence.
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