The pain suffered by a victim is one of the major factors that affect personal injury claims which, in turn, affects settlement offers and court awards. Attorneys and insurance adjusters use some objective criteria to assess a claimant’s pain level; therefore, the pain scale is relevant for legal and medical purposes.
This blog will examine different classifications of pain scales, their relevance in personal injury claims, and how they should be documented to make a case more defensible in court.
Understanding the Pain Scale
The pain scale is a standardized way of describing pain intensity levels. Pain scales help practitioners of medicine and law to assess and measure pain so that accurate treatment and reasonable payments can be determined. Some of the most common pain scales are:
- Numerical Pain Scale (NPS): A patient suffering from pain is asked to rate their pain on a scale of 0 (no pain) to a maximum of 10 (worst pain imaginable).
- Visual Analog Pain Scale (VAS): Patients show the level of pain they are going through by marking their position in a straight line.
- Verbal Rating Scale (VRS): Descriptive terms such as mild, moderate, or severe are used.
- Wong-Baker Pain Scale: This scale helps children and non-communicative patients use facial expressions to indicate their pain levels.
- FLACC Pain Scale: This scale is for infants and non-communicative patients. It considers facial expression, leg movement, activity, crying, and conslability.
- Dol Pain Scale: This scale measures pain more accurately by categorizing the level of pain according to the specific medical conditions and their responses.
The Role of Pain Scale in Personal Injury Claims
While making a personal injury claim, one of the most salient aspects is measuring pain as it translates to sustained injuries. A detailed assessment of the pain scale assists in more than one way:
- Quantify Pain for Legal Purposes: Courts and insurance firms are known to utilize pain score charts in rating the degree of inflicted injuries.
- Corroborate Medical Reports: A pain scale report is useful in authenticating medical and treatment modalities.
- Determine Compensation: The higher pain scores tend to make a stronger case for larger settlements in cases of pain and suffering claims.
- Support Testimonies: Claimants may use pain scale charts as testimonial aids to elaborate on how much pain they claim to be feeling.
Expert Testimony and Supporting Evidence in Evaluating Pain for Claims
Pain is subjective and thus, every claim must be supported by adequate expert testimony. Some of the evidence that an attorney may consider is as follows:
- Medical Reports: Adding documentation on a pain scale from medical personnel.
- Pain Diaries: Day to day description of the pain intensity, how it was triggered, and what measures were taken to alleviate it.
- Witness Statements: Reports from relatives, friends, or coworkers of the claimant concerning how the pain affects daily performance.
- Imaging and Diagnostic Tests: For injury claims, X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans support such a claim instead of evidence.
- Expert Evaluations: Physicians, pain practitioners, or psychologists can perform professional pain assessments regarding the intensity of pain.
Best Practices for Documenting Pain Scale Levels Throughout Your Claim Process
These tips will help ensure that the evaluation of the pain scale helps maximize personal injury claims effectiveness:
- Use Consistent Descriptions: Use a range (1 through 10) instead of exaggerating and provide a rating of the level of pain experienced.
- Document Pain Progression: Note down the levels of pain experienced before treatment and post treatment.
- Correlate with Medical Records: Ensure that the level of pain documented aligns with the hospital records.
- Include Emotional & Physical Impact: Explain how the pain experiences impact work productivity and sleeping patterns alongside other daily activities.
- Seek Regular Medical Assessments: Attending the doctor regularly will help to corroborate the claim of persistent pain.
Conclusion
For all personal injury claims, utilizing the pain scale is immensely beneficial as attorneys, medical practitioners, and insurance claim adjusters will have a pertinent way to determine accessory pain. Proper documentation of the pain scale will undoubtedly help to solidify legal cases surrounding personal injury and ensure that the claimant receives a fair settlement.
In case you or someone dear is facing issues due to an unfortunate personal injury, get expert help to accurately present your case to receive the rightful claim.
FAQs
What is the pain scale for injury?
The scale for an injury ranges from describing the pain on a numerical scale to visual or even verbal scales to quantify the pain.
What is the value of the pain rating scale?
The importance of a pain rating scale lies within medical and legal practitioners as they use this scale to measure pain for treatment and compensation purposes.
What is a 5-pain rating scale?
No pain, mild pain, moderate pain, severe pain, and worst pain define the 5-pain rating scale.
What are the 10 grades of pain?
The 10 grades of pain consist of the scale from 0 meaning no pain to 10 which refers to the worst pain one can go through. This is also referred to numerical pain scale.
Need Expert Support for Your Personal Injury Case?
We can help you with report preparation on assessment of injuries and review of medical records for personal injury claims. For expert medical pain scale documentation services, reach out to our team today!
