You are entitled to compensation for a variety of damages, including pain and suffering, if you have been hurt as a result of someone else’s carelessness. Both the physical pain of your injuries and the mental agony or emotional distress you may experience as a result of the trauma of your accident. As well as the the experience of living with physical pain and suffering throughout a protracted healing period are included in pain and suffering.
While most wounded people will suffer some kind of mental discomfort, the precise symptoms and degree of those symptoms may differ from case to case. The following are some of the most prevalent signs of emotional distress:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Guilt
- Frustration
- Insomnia
- Bitterness
- Loss of companionship
Signs of emotional distress
You cannot just state that you have suffered emotional anguish in your personal injury claim and expect get adequate damages. You must provide proof to back up your allegation. This will require proof establishing the existence of your emotional suffering, as well as evidence illustrating the degree or breadth of your distress.
In a personal injury lawsuit, common forms of evidence that may be used to establish a claim for emotional distress include:
- Mental Health Narratives: If you are experiencing emotional discomfort, speaking with a professional such as a certified counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist can be beneficial. If you do, that individual can compose a mental health narrative for you, which will include their professional assessment of your emotional and mental condition. If you talk to your family physician about your mental well-being, they may be able to help.
- Letters from Witnesses: If your emotional suffering has expressed itself in ways that others would notice—for example, depression, tiredness, sobbing fits, and so on—you might have those people write letters detailing their observations. Friends and relatives may undoubtedly send letters, but more objective persons such as an employer, a coworker, or a pastor may have more weight.
- Journals: Keeping a personal injury diary while your rehabilitation is a wonderful idea. Details regarding your physical symptoms, as well as your daily thoughts and sentiments, should be included. This diary may then be used to keep track of your evolving emotional distress symptoms.
- Prescriptions: Make a record of any prescription drugs you’re taking for emotional distress symptoms including depression, anxiety, or sleeplessness, as well as the dosages you’re taking.
Emotional distress damages are worth valuing
The value of mental and emotional well-being cannot be overstated. However, we do need to put a monetary value on your mental suffering for the purposes of a personal injury claim. This is usually accomplished by adding up the cost of your medical expenses and missed income and multiplying by a ratio of 1 to 5, depending on the severity of your mental anguish.
Your personal injury lawyer can assist you with this by giving information on the amount of emotional distress compensation that has been awarded in situations comparable to yours. Together, you may come up with a compensation range that you believe is fair, and then seek to have that amount included in any settlement offer you get from the insurance company or any jury verdict you win in court.
Call The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 right now to request a free consultation and learn more about the possible worth of emotional distress damages in your case.
