Even hospitals struggle to create a system for measuring pain. They have patients look at a series of faces, each of which has a different expression. The patient is asked to point to the expression that best depicts the patient’s sensation.
In view of the challenge associated with the effort to measure pain, it seems logical to ask the question that was posed in the title of this article. How can an insurer attach a dollar value to a claimant’s pain and suffering?
Insurance companies consider every possible version of pain
Soreness Stiffness
Aching Numbness
Tenderness Burning sensation
Tingling Shooting pain
Insurers note the time when the claimant felt a certain painful sensation.
• Was it during the period the immediately followed the accident?
• Was it during the time when the claimant was receiving some type of treatment?
• Did the claimant suffer some type of pain after receiving treatment? For instance, did some implanted device cause pain?
• Did some extension of a limb cause pain?
The mental effects associated with a given accident serve as an indication that the claimant has been suffering.
Emotional distress Anguish
Anxiety Depression
Stress Anger
Confusion Fear
Sometimes the side effects of prescribed medication can trigger the appearance of a mental effect. For instance, the patient might become lethargic of depressed. A patient’s attitude might also reflect the effects created by an effort to change a patient’s medication. Sometimes, the patient must receive a mild dose of the old medication while adapting to the new one. A physician might prescribe too great a dosage of either the older or newer medication. Ideally, a patient should get monitored closely, when switching to a new medication. The insurance company has reason to examine the method used by both the physician and the testing lab.
The role of experts
Medical experts can substantiate a claim made about the inability to perform a certain action. A medical expert should be able to explain how the injury has or has not caused the appearance of that same inability as per Injury Lawyer in Mississauga.
An expert’s comments could offer insight into the claimant’s future chances for finding a job. For instance, a neurologist could warn a patient with a ventricular shunt against taking on a position that required a great deal of stair climbing. Hence, the list of possible positions would be narrowed to a degree.
An expert might be able to suggest a simple and readily available treatment. For instance, a psychologist might suggest use of the Dream Pillow, in a case where a claimant has suffered nightmares. That pillow has been used to banish the nightmares that haunted a small child. Today anyone that has access to an Internet connection can order that item.
