{"id":371387,"date":"2016-10-11T18:51:47","date_gmt":"2016-10-11T23:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/alabama-law\/pain-and-suffering-damages-in-alabama.html"},"modified":"2025-01-02T15:58:27","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T20:58:27","slug":"pain-and-suffering-damages-in-alabama","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/alabama-law\/pain-and-suffering-damages-in-alabama.html","title":{"rendered":"Pain and Suffering Damages in Alabama"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Pain and Suffering Damages in Alabama<\/h1>\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Alabama personal injury laws allow accident and medical malpractice victims to sue for expenses other than medical expenses and legal costs. Victims experience pain and suffering<\/a>, emotional distress, and disability due to their accidents. They can get compensation for these injuries.<\/p>\r\n

A personal injury attorney includes non-economic damages and punitive damages when filing a claim. Alabama law has limits (known as caps) for these damages and statutes of limitation. This article reviews some of these laws and limits on damages.<\/p>\r\n

Non-Economic Damages<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Compensatory damages<\/b> pay for all injuries that follow an accident. These include monetary losses like medical bills and lost income and non-monetary injuries like pain and suffering. Alabama categorizes all compensatory damages as "past, future, or punitive<\/a>" damages. Non-economic damages may fall into any of these categories.<\/p>\r\n

Non-economic damages<\/b> are also called "mental anguish" damages. They compensate victims for the physical pain and the emotional toll an accident inflicts on their lives. Courts may find it difficult to put a dollar amount on these damages, so they’re called "non-economic." Typical non-economic damages in a personal injury claim include:<\/p>\r\n