Can You Recover Compensation for Emotional Distress?

If you’ve been injured by someone else’s negligence, such as in a traffic or slip and fall accident, your physical and financial losses can be immense. You can also, however, experience considerable emotional upheaval that can amplify the impact of the other damages you’ve incurred. If these are the challenging circumstances you find yourself in, our experienced Gaffney, South Carolina, personal injury attorneys at Parker & Bain, LLC, welcome the opportunity to help.

Personal Injury Claims in Gaffney

The heavily trafficked I-85 and SC-18 run directly through Gaffney, and traffic accidents of all kinds, as well as related personal injury claims, are common. In fact, the massive influx of both commercial developments and residents in the area increases the risk of both motor vehicle and premises liability claims, such as slip and fall accidents.

The Emotional Trauma Associated

Being seriously injured in an accident that was caused by another party’s negligence can take a heavy emotional toll that is in addition to the trauma associated with the frightening accident. To begin, you’re likely to experience a rush of adrenaline and shock. Once these begin to subside, however, the emotional damages that can potentially eclipse your other losses combined could linger, and they can be even more difficult to overcome.

Common Emotional Consequences

Many victims of accidents that result in personal injury claims experience symptoms that relate to PTSD, which you need medical documentation for, and common examples include all the following:

• Increased anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating
• Disruptive and terrifying accident flashbacks
• Sleep disturbances
• Serious mood swings that are difficult to manage
• Increased risk of co-occurring challenges, including substance abuse, depression, and anxiety attacks

Calculating Your Pain and Suffering in a South Carolina Claim

South Carolina doesn’t employ a statutory means of calculating pain and suffering in personal injury claims. Often, however, the multiplier method is used.

This involves assigning a value of 1.5 to 5 to the case at hand. The number used is based on the severity of the accident and the permanence of your injuries. First, your economic damages will be determined. These include your current and ongoing medical costs, as well as your lost income and any lost earning potential in the future.

Once this total is calculated, it’s multiplied by the assigned number, which establishes the value of your emotional damages. This is a complicated but important process that can make a big difference in relation to your health and well-being moving forward. Working closely with a seasoned personal injury lawyer from the start is always in your best interest.

Our Experienced Gaffney, SC, Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help

The emotional losses associated with your personal injury claim can be overwhelming and should not be downplayed. Our dedicated Gaffney personal injury attorneys at Parker & Bain have earned a solid reputation for skilled advocacy and impressive results. We’re here for you, too, so please don’t wait to reach out for more information about everything we can do to help by contacting us online or giving our firm a call at 864-252-2650 today.