Monetary compensation for pain and suffering aims to address the non-economic damages incurred in personal injury cases. These damages encompass physical discomfort, emotional distress, psychological trauma, loss of enjoyment of life, and other subjective impacts resulting from an injury. For example, chronic pain following a car accident or the emotional trauma associated with a dog bite are considered compensable forms of non-economic damages. Calculating these damages is complex and often involves considering the severity of the injury, its impact on daily life, and the duration of its effects.
Quantifying subjective experiences like pain and suffering in financial terms is essential for providing just compensation to injury victims. This aspect of personal injury law acknowledges that harm extends beyond medical bills and lost wages. Historically, legal systems have grappled with methods for evaluating such intangible losses. The development of various methods for calculating these damages, including per diem rates, multipliers, and consideration of prior case precedent, reflects the ongoing effort to balance the need for fair compensation with the inherent difficulty of assigning monetary value to subjective experiences.
