The classic Scripture for the concept that suffering displays God's strength through our weakness is found in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, where we learn that God's grace is sufficient for us, for His power is perfected in weakness. Those who suffer tend to have tender hearts toward others who are in pain. Feeling isolated is one of the hardest parts of suffering. Suffering, the Pope says, consists in feeling cut off from good. Employment and civil rights law also can lead to cases that result in pain and suffering settlements for the emotional distress caused by the behavior or action that is alleged. Attorneys experienced in personal injury law know how to present a lawsuit that results in negotiation instead of litigation. Less serious injuries still can bring large settlements depending on the length of hospitalization, physical therapy, and counseling that is involved. Searching the Internet for attorneys can produce too many results to manage, but you can look at your state bar website for attorney directories or referral services. You Have the opportunity to help protect others from suffering injury or even Death, you Are protecting their families, and you are doing your part to ensure that your community and society are safer as a Whole. This article is also available in Spanish. Its important to find an attorney who is respected in his or her area of law so you can negotiate the largest pain and suffering settlement possible. Only God can bestow this solidarity upon us. My weakness made me more like a fragile, easily broken window than a solid brick wall. You can retain an attorney to send a demand letter and negotiate a settlement. The origin of the privation is sin. Claims Amount = $2,000 + $300 X [1.5 to 5%] For a serious debilitating injury, like a disfigurement or brain damage, your claim is estimated to be in the range of $11,500.00 to $23,000.00. Seven times in the book of Hebrews, the author captures the heart of Christianity in a simple, wonderful command: draw near. Jesus endured all that suffering as an innocent man. . Since it originates in privation, the inevitable question is: "Why did this deprivation occur, what is its cause?". 3 attorney answers. . Because damages for "pain and suffering" are subjective and can be extremely different in each case, settlements and jury verdicts for these damages can be unpredictable. This is now official and organized through health-care institutions and the professionals who work in them, and also through volunteers. What you are experiencing from God, you can give away in increasing measure to others. Recipients of pain and suffering claims may be eligible for monetary compensation that accounts for their lossesand helps them recover from their injuries. Focus on the Familys counselors would be happy to listen to your concerns and come alongside you with some practical suggestions. So when I say to a mother or father who has also lost a child, "I hurt with you, because I've lost a precious one too," my tears bring warmth and comfort in a way that someone who has never known that pain cannot offer. (See 1 Corinthians 6:12). Pain and suffering. In a lawsuit for personal injury, there are two types of damages: economic and non-economic damages. One wise man I heard said, "I got theology in seminary, but I learned reality through trials. Suffering is excellent at teaching us humble dependence on God, the only appropriate response to our Creator. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); How Can Two Walk Together Except They Agree? We find ourselves at the heart of the Christian mystery, inaccessible except through an experience of it: no one who does not know it can prove its efficacy or find its solution. In Christ the enigma of pain and death is revealed. substance abuse. Through suffering, human beings are incorporated into the pain of Christ. Adapted from Complete Guide to Faith-Based Family Finances by Ron Blue. Answer. This reality is a stark reminder that we have not reached the new heavens and new earth. The bottom line is that most types of workplace injury claims can only be resolved through the workers' comp . . Whatever brings you closer to God is a blessing. I got facts in Sunday School, but I learned faith through trusting God in difficult circumstances. The sin committed by a person spreads by joint human liability. 2010 Focus on the Family. Through Christ's solidarity with al humanity the human pain of all time; was suffered by Christ in his passion and his redeeming death. *** b. a source of wealth to conquer in the name of one's ancestors. Joni Eareckson Tada, When Is It Right to Die? The following is a translation from Italian of excerpts of the Cardinal's lecture. In addition to physical pain, the accident and your resulting injuries can also cause you mental distress. 5. Pain and suffering is a type of non-economic damage that the victim has suffered. February 28, 2023. He does know what He's doing . There's another aspect of bringing comfort to those in pain. Sue wasn't too sure she wanted to talk to anybody about her life, let alone a . Pastor Jack Hibbs explores answers to these questions. Moreover, those who not only act to help the sick but also to drive away a whole series of evils, those who fight hatred, violence, cruelty and every type of physical and spiritual suffering, belong to the same category as the Good Samaritan. ", Sometimes our suffering isn't a consequence of our actions or even someone else's. Sue Bohlin looks at suffering from a Christian perspective. Avvo Rating: 10. 7). The expense in terms of time, money and emotional outlay usually offsets any potential financial gain that might be expected from the case. But just as sunlight pours through a window but is blocked by a wall, I discovered that other people could see God's strength and beauty in me because of the window-like nature of my weakness! or the next hour . Karen told Sue she knew of a Christian counselor who did therapy at a reduced rate. Special (pain and suffering) damages: $10,000 ($5,000 x 2) Total: $15,000. This is why the mystery of pain shifts from pain in itself to the mystery of solidarity. Only in love is it possible to find the saving response to pain. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. First, consider the following: This passage tells us that we should be willing to forgive others just as God has forgiven us. Only by living the mystery of Christian suffering can we get an idea of what suffering means and, as the Pope said previously, transcend it and overcome it. David Powlison answers this way: When youve passed through your own fiery trials, and found God to be true to what he says, you have real help to offer. Jesus said that we should settle with an adversary on the way to court. Thus, suffering involves solidarity (cf. Were on a mission to change that. . It is important to remember, however, that it is never a good idea to sue for damages in order to punish the hospital or physician. Deprivation does not demand a positive cause but the search for its origin. 11). As painful as it is, suffering strips away the distractions of life. 5. Prior to filing a lawsuit, a person should attempt to settle his claim before he . Christians suffer for a variety of reasons, including many of the same . 14). (5) Suffering is a Process. If a title is currently unavailable through Focus on the Family, we encourage you to use another retailer. Our culture disdains weakness, but our frailty is a sign of God's workmanship in us. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:4 that God comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:1718, This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. One of the counterintuitive truths about suffering is that it prepares Christians for more glory. But take heart! Pain and suffering damages are especially hard to calculate since two different people can be injured in the exact same way and experience different levels of pain. Suffering is a product of the fall, a consequence of human sin against God (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:21). Please try again later. As hurtful as it is, suffering can purify us if we submit to the One who has a loving plan for the pain. Ray and I lost our first baby when she was born too prematurely to survive. In God's sovereign scheme, pain and suffering are not only powerless to destroy the believer, they can result in a refined, resilient faith that perseveres and spurs others on in the same way, until we see our Lord and Savior face to face. If possible, try finding witnesses who were present during those instances where someone else caused harm to others (or even themselves). He then briefly outlines the context of suffering, speaking of the vast field of suffering and of the suffering person. Suffering is a result of the fall. Claims Amount = $2,000 + $300 X [5 to 10%] Current pain and suffering is the time period from the time of your injury, to the completion of all your medical . Every man and every woman should feel personally called to bear witness to love in suffering and must not leave those who are suffering to be cared for solely by official institutions (ibid.,n.29). Solidarity, as the foundation of the whole of existence, is not only sympathy with all, a way of being socially committed and aware that we all belong to the same race, culture, nationality, etc., but is also the experiencing of a bond with all other human beings so deeply within ourselves that it is not a qualification that comes to us as soon as we exist but constitutes our existence itself. Almost everyone is living with some kind of pain. If you can see the purpose behind the pain, you can find the way out of this lie. Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. Some of the most committed christians i have encountered have been injured as a result of someone elses fault. Home Family QAs Get Help Family Q&A Life Changes Q&As Christians and Lawsuits. Being cut off from good is an evil. Some states cap the amount of damages that can be awarded in a pain and suffering settlement. . The problem is especially difficult when it comes to the question of whether christians can bring lawsuits against others for personal injury. Paul writes, "We know that all things work . Some lawyers may target Christians who are looking for someone to help them with their problems; others may focus on people looking for someone to blame for their pain and suffering. May the suffering of Mary and the saints help us discover this response. You can transform our nation one family at a time! Does pain and suffering make up the biggest part of the settlement? Articles and answers on lots of topics at Probe.org. Your email address will not be published. New York, meanwhile, has no caps on any damages, economic, non-economic or punitive. The type varies - it may be physical, relational, mental, emotional, financial, social, or spiritual - but it all hurts. Evil is not a positive entity but a privation. 2022 12 Aug. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.". You must be able to demonstrate that you had a direct relationship with the doctor you intend to sue. In other types of cases you may need to file a lawsuit or have your attorney share the merits of your case with the person or company who harmed you before they will offer a settlement. Pain is inevitable because we live in a fallen world. Pope John Paul II does not conceal the fact that suffering is something complex, enigmatic and intangible that must be treated with full respect and compassion and even with awe; but this does not justify the attempt to understand it, since only in this way will it be possible to come to terms with it. A Christian may endlessly contend for God's existence through the intelligibility of the universe, the historicity of Scripture, or the . Pain is based on personal experiences and the severity of a persons injuries. The psalmist learned this lesson as he wrote in Psalm 119:67: "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. Suffering, the Pope says, consists in feeling cut off from good. 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