There are no set guidelines for monetary awards for pain and suffering. It all depends on the type and extent of the pain and suffering, as well as your attorney’s skill in presenting it to the court.
One common way attorneys calculate a pain and suffering award is to multiply your actual damages (medical bills and lost wages) by a number between 1 and 5 – with 1 representing a relatively mild injury like one requiring chiropractic treatment and 5 representing a severe injury (such as paralysis).
Another approach some attorneys use is a per diem calculation—which involves assigning a dollar amount to each day from the date of the accident until the case is fully resolved. For instance, $100 per day.