Pain and Suffering under Oklahoma law

What damages can you recover?

Under Oklahoma law, if you have been injured as a result of the negligence of another you may be entitled to damages for your harms and losses. Generally speaking, the damages come in two forms: economic damages and non-economic damages. But what do those terms mean?

Economic Damages

Economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, and other past and future expenses which were the foreseeable result of your injuries. These are the easiest damages to calculate and understand. For example, you are driving down an Oklahoma road, you stop at a red light. As you sit waiting for the light to turn green, you are rear-ended by a driver who is not paying attention. You feel pain and go to the emergency room to be checked out. Soon after, you get a bill from the hospital for $1,500.00. Because you went to the emergency room as a result of the other driver's negligence, just about everyone would agree that the other driver should pay your ER bill.

Once the bill is paid, your wallet is back to even, but what about you? What about the pain you felt? What if that pain continues? What if it affects your ability to function, to do the things in your life that you enjoy?

Non-Economic Damages: Pain and Suffering

Fortunately, Oklahoma law allows its citizens to recover non-economic damages. While the term "non-economic" damages includes more than just pain and suffering, we will focus on pain and suffering today. Pain and suffering is a legal term is a legal term, which encompasses not only physical pain, but also the emotional trauma of going through a car wreck and dealing with the changes in your life which follow. Pain and suffering can include your worry, your grief, your fears, and your stress - especially when those things affect your quality of life.

In Oklahoma, you are allowed compensation. But pain and suffering can be far more difficult to calculate. There is no bill, like from the emergency room, which details the costs of your pain and suffering. And in many ways, there is no specific way to calculate the value of the changes in a human being's life caused by the negligence of another human being.

But pain and suffering does have value. At Accident and Disability Lawyers of OKC, we believe the changes to your life are often the most devastating result of a personal injury case. To put it simply, they are what makes a personal injury case, personal.

If you suffer mental anguish, fear, or loss as a result of a car accident or personal injury case, call Accident and Disability Lawyers of OKC. We can help you obtain the compensation you deserve, including compensation for your pain and suffering.