Why are people allowed to recover for pain and suffering or emotional distress?

Oftentimes, people focus only on their "out-of-pocket" losses, such as their medical bills, and seek only to recover those economic losses. Those people are missing the point. Being seriously injured impacts a person's life in a much greater way than simply incurring medical bills. People are not cars and should not be treated as such. When people are injured, their lives are typically changed, whether for a few months or years or for the rest of their lives. They might have to miss work which can be quite stressful. Their personal time is consumed by going to doctors, physical therapy or even having to do their own work outs at home. They can no longer do the things they loved which made their lives a bit better. If they can, they might be limited on how long or how often they can do them, as well as how vigorously they can participate. Their relationships with others might be stressed due to their physical limitations or condition and the extra demands on loved ones as a result. In ...  more

Oftentimes, people focus only on their ??out-of-pocket?? losses, such as their medical bills, and seek only to recover those economic losses. Those people are missing the point. Being seriously injured impacts a person??s life in a much greater way than simply incurring medical bills. People are not cars and should not be treated as such. When someone is injured, their lives are typically changed, whether for a few months or years or for the rest of their lives. They might have to miss work which can be quite stressful. Their personal time is consumed by going to doctors, physical therapy or even having to do their own work outs at home. They can no longer do the things they loved which made their lives a bit better. If they can, they might be limited on how long or how often they can do them, as well as how vigorously they can participate. Their relationships with others might be stressed due to their physical limitations or condition and the extra demands on loved ones as a result. ...  more