A serious injury can leave you dealing with pain long after the initial healing process ends. When the pain lasts for weeks, months, or even years, it becomes a condition known as chronic pain.
Chronic pain does more than cause ongoing discomfort. In fact, it can actually change how the brain functions, affecting memory, mood, and the ability to handle everyday tasks.
If you are living with chronic physical and emotional pain after an injury someone else caused, you may be entitled to compensation that reflects the full toll on your life.
What Is Chronic Pain and How Does It Develop?
Most acute pain goes away as an injury heals. For example, a relatively minor burn hurts for a while, but the pain fades once the body repairs itself.
Chronic pain works differently. It lingers long after the expected recovery period, sometimes for months or even years. Over time, the nervous system can become stuck in a heightened state of alert, sending constant pain signals even when there is no new tissue damage.
That means the pain is no longer just a symptom. It becomes a medical condition in its own right, frequently triggering mental distress, impaired cognitive function, sleep disorders, ongoing stress, and other effects on brain health.
How Chronic Pain Affects the Brain Over Time
Research shows that chronic pain can cause measurable changes in the brain. Individuals experiencing chronic pain often experience shrinkage in brain areas tied to memory, decision-making, and emotional control. The changes can lead to difficulty concentrating, cognitive dysfunction, and emotional dysfunction, as well as anxiety and depression.
What’s more, changes due to chronic pain reduce the brain’s ability to manage stress, and that can make the pain feel even worse. A vicious cycle then begins in which pain fuels emotional distress, and emotional distress makes the pain harder to bear. For someone recovering from an injury, such effects can make it nearly impossible to return to work, enjoy hobbies, or maintain relationships.
How to Calculate Pain and Suffering Damages
When a chronic pain patient files a personal injury claim, compensation should cover more than just medical bills. It should also account for the physical and emotional suffering the injury caused. But how do you calculate something as personal as persistent pain?
Courts and insurance companies look at several factors when determining how to calculate damages in a lawsuit:
- Medical records and treatment history, including pain management
- Lost wages and earning ability
- Mental health problems and psychological factors (for example, depression, anxiety, and sleep disruption tied to ongoing pain)
- Daily life limitations due to persistent chronic pain
Contact Us Today to Get Help Calculating Your Chronic Pain Damages
Chronic pain is a life-altering condition, and the compensation you pursue should reflect that reality. The chronic pain attorneys at Jebaily Law Firm are ready to work to document the full extent of your suffering and fight for the maximum recovery you deserve.
Contact us today for a free consultation with our experienced personal injury attorneys.
