If you require legal counsel and assistance in litigating a claim for damages resulting from a personal injury, contact Powell, Zero, Mundy. Our long history of success in representing the residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania makes Powell, Zero, Mundy the clear and obvious choice for representation in personal injury matters in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and surrounding areas.

When the occurrence of an accident causes some loss to an individual, the losses and damages typically incurred are financial, physical, and emotional. Financial damages include medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and funeral expenses.

Physical and emotional damages, also known as “pain and suffering” refer to the physical and emotional pain suffered because of the injuries caused by the accident. These include disfigurement, scarring, and any temporary or permanent disability.

Emotional damages refer to the emotional toll of the accident in the form of mental anguish, fear, anxiety, loss of enjoyment, loss of appetite, loss of sleep, sexual dysfunction, grief, humiliation, and PTSD. In addition to the pain and suffering caused by the accident during the period between the accident and judgment, future pain and suffering is also compensable.

For obvious reasons, it is easier to calculate the amount of economic damages than place a dollar value on pain and suffering. Economic damages such as lost wages and medical bills are easily quantifiable, whereas the amount of pain and suffering suffered by a person after an accident differs with each individual.

Because pain and suffering is difficult to quantify, attorneys, judges, and insurance companies utilize various factors to calculate the value of an accident victim’s pain and suffering. These include the type and severity of the injuries; the length of recovery time; the impact of the injuries on physical and emotional well-being; emotional trauma; the extent of permanent injury; and the interference with the performance of everyday activities.