In some cases, there are rules governing how much compensation can be sought for certain general damages, such as pain and suffering, though often it is subjective. Experienced attorneys can be a great help in calculating these damages as they have handled similar cases in the past and know the amounts that are commonly awarded.  General damages are supposed to take into account the severity of the suffering or inconvenience to the victim to determine just monetary compensation. The process for calculating special vs. general damages is very different.