General damages
The losses with no receipt — pain, suffering, and what the injury took out of your life.
They are usually the larger half of a serious claim and the half an insurer works hardest to shrink. This is general information, not legal advice.
What it means
General damages are also called non-economic damages. They cover physical pain, mental suffering, inconvenience, anxiety, grief, and loss of enjoyment of life — the things that have no invoice.
There is no formula. California jury instructions tell jurors that no fixed standard exists and that they must use their judgment to decide a reasonable amount. Anyone offering you a multiplier is describing a negotiating habit, not a rule of law.
Because they are unquantifiable by nature, they are proved through detail: what you could do before, what you cannot do now, and who can describe the difference.
Where this is dealt with properly
This entry is the short answer. These pages own the subject.
Common questions
- Is there a formula for pain and suffering in California?
- No. The jury instruction says there is no fixed standard and asks jurors for a reasonable amount on the evidence. Multipliers are a negotiating shorthand, not law.
- I was uninsured when I was hit. Does that matter?
- It can matter a great deal. Proposition 213 bars an uninsured driver from recovering non-economic damages in most circumstances, even where the other driver was entirely at fault.
Start a case review call
On a case review call, I go through the facts with you: what happened, when, whether you were hurt, whether anyone represents you, and how to reach you. It is not legal advice, and I will not put a value on your claim.
Sources: CACI No. 3905A, Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (2026 edition) (physical pain, mental suffering and emotional distress); Civ. Code, § 1431.2 (several liability for non-economic damages); Civ. Code, § 3333.4 (Proposition 213 — the uninsured-driver bar on non-economic damages). CACI references after the first use the short form.