Pain and suffering is one of the 76 Important factors affecting injury claims and settlements. or the next few minutes." But after three long years of holding on, during a visit from Cheryl's pastor, the wife trusted Christ on her deathbed and the husband received assurance of his salvation. If a Christian refuses to have the matter resolved by the church or by a Christian, then you can take him to court if he refuses to resolve the matter through the church or by a Christian. Oswald Chambers reminds us that "God has one destined end for mankindholiness. Deep suffering of the soul is also a taste of hell. Let me explain. ibid.,n. . Like Mary in the example above, your pain and suffering may consist mostly of economic losses such as: Cost of medical care The Bible teaches that Christians can sue if they need compensation for the injuries they have suffered, but it also teaches them to forgive their enemies (Matthew 5:44). Many Christians wonder if it's okay to take medicine for the disease, illness, or other type of suffering God ordained. One of the counterintuitive truths about suffering is that it prepares Christians for more glory. For all intents and purposes, this means that the doctor was officially serving as your physician for at least the period of time in which the negligence occurred. The Holy Father tells us that in Old Testament biblical language, suffering and evil are at first identified with each other. To enter into the mystery, let us be guided by God himself. C.S. Rhonda is an executive secretary earning $24 per hour. Avvo Rating: 10. My weakness made me more like a fragile, easily broken window than a solid brick wall. Draft a demand letter. Pain is based on personal experiences and the severity of a persons injuries. Adrian Rogers Love Worth Finding. Scripture makes it pretty clear that brothers and sisters in Christ should not be suing one another (1 Corinthians 6:1-11). This word pair names one of the most difficult problems facing Christian faith and practice today. Economic damages: $5,000. Saving all evidence such as medical bills and other expenses associated with the injury is imperative. I think that the more important question should be, Am I bringing glory to God? If you are not sure if your decision is the best one, then ask a trusted Christian friend or family member who has known you for a long time. This is the heart of Christianity. Judges 4:5. The world God originally made isn't the one we experience. Find the best ones near you. Being cut off from good is an evil. Only God can bestow this solidarity upon us. our 99 Self-Care Techniques for Christians, How God Used My Struggles with Scrupulosity to Teach Me His Amazing Grace. An eternal God provides humans with an existence beyond the grave. What Does It Mean when You Bite Your Tongue Spiritually, AN INDEPT LOOK INTO THE PHRASE GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES IN CHRISTIANITY, Christian Organizations that Help the Poor. It is quite understandable that this would happen. 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. Documenting time spent addressing an injury and its side effects also is important. We usually don't have much trouble understanding that our Divine Bridegroom loves us; but we can easily forget how much He longs for us to love Him back. However, although God rejects this theory and approves Job's innocence his suffering remains a mystery: not all suffering is consequential to transgression, which is proof of Job's righteousness. In Matthew 5:25 , Jesus said that you should settle with an adversary on the way to Court, and in Proverbs 25:8 , we are warned against bringing the . It forces us to face the fact that we are powerless to change other people and most situations. Three topics, among others, that the Pope addresses in his Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris with regard to suffering as a mystery are: "evil and suffering", "Christ takes on suffering", and "the value of human suffering". Marine Corps recruiter Randy Norfleet survived the Oklahoma City bombing despite losing 40 percent of his blood and needing 250 stitches to close his wounds. Jesus told His followers, "In this world you will have trouble. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); What Does the Bible Say About Helping Others Too Much? New York, meanwhile, has no caps on any damages, economic, non-economic or punitive. After many sleepless nights wracked by various kinds of pain, my friend Jan now knows what she was saved from. if You take me through today . Rather, the disputed matter should be arbitrated or judged by a wise Christian or Christians. 1. Something went wrong. They've lost track of history. 11). What you are experiencing from God, you can give away in increasing measure to others. The only answer [to the "why" of suffering] can come from the love of God in the Cross (cf. In this guide, well explain what pain and suffering is, review some pain and suffering settlement examples, and discuss everything you need to know about these settlements. Christian contractors may be unable to pay their employees and support their families without this money. Some states dont allow per diem arguments for non-economic harm, including New Jersey, where the courts have concluded they have no basis in evidence. Both women are out of work for a month before being released from a doctor's care. 2023 Forbes Media LLC. But Jesus said, I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. And neither does it mean that Scripture doesnt tell us how to think about our suffering now. The expense in terms of time, money and emotional outlay usually offsets any potential financial gain that might be expected from the case. I think that the development of the Pope's thought climbs six steps towards the fullness of the mystery of suffering and pain; we can sum them up as follows: Suffering is not in itself evil but is the effect of a negative cause. Suffering has a subject and it is theindividual who experiences it; yet it is not imprisoned within the person but gives rise to solidarity with others who are suffering; for the only one who has a special awareness of this is the person, the whole person. Christ himself is the One who was cared for, and the one who fell into the hands of bandits is cared for and helped. Yes Christians were murdered, women raped and sold into slavery along with their children, and whatever property they owned was either destroyed or stolen from them. Christian K. Lassen II View Profile . In fact, a Johns Hopkins study found that medical errors kill more than 250,000 Americans every year, making it the third-leading cause of death behind only heart disease and cancer. It is only the dazzling light, its excessive brightness, that prevents us from seeing anything in front of us, and it is in this that we car make out the mystery of suffering. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" ( Revelation 21:4 ). Chambers, June 25. That means the defendant must have: Owed a duty to you; Some Christians seek to dodge the problem by imagining that suffering always marks the presence [] In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! Suffering has done that for me. The fear that accompanies suffering drives us to the Father like a little kid burying his face in his daddy's leg. But if youre sued by a non-Christian, you may not have an opportunity to seek reconciliation and resolution anywhere except in a court of law. However, many cases go to trial and result in a verdict, a decision by a court as to the amount the plaintiff should be awarded, and these can be used to estimate how much a case is worth. Suffering prepares us to minister comfort to others who suffer. Emotional distress is a type of 'pain and suffering' damage. Let us now try to describe suffering. Does pain and suffering make up the biggest part of the settlement? 2. The type varies - it may be physical, relational, mental, emotional, financial, social, or spiritual - but it all hurts. A man is required to recover for the time he lost when he is struck by another man, as stated in Exodus 21:18-19. Paul confronts that type of thinking when he writes, Bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). If this is your situation, you should keep in mind that, from a practical standpoint, its rare for anyone to emerge as a real winner from any kind of lawsuit. Consider how the Lord Jesus was the exact representation of the glory of the FatherI mean, He was all window and no walls! The Pope now goes a step further and reaches the heart of the mystery; in his mortal life, Christ put an end to pain by his miracles, He took upon himself the suffering of all and bore it with full consciousness on the Cross (cf. A Christian Understanding of Pain and Suffering, The Thinking and Theology of John Paul II. If possible, try finding witnesses who were present during those instances where someone else caused harm to others (or even themselves). Generally speaking, then, its a good idea to avoid lawsuits. Depending on the facts of the case and what method is used to calculate damages, pain and suffering will make up some . Thus, suffering involves solidarity (cf. ", God never wastes suffering, not a scrap of it. (5) Suffering is a Process. For example, if a plaintiff incurs $3,000 in medical bills . Although it is a little imperfect, attorneys will calculate pain and suffering at 1.5 - 4 times the amount of actual damages (costs of the injury / treatment). It can be hard to place a dollar value on the value of one days pain however. He does know what He's doing . It can bring us to the end of ourselves and cause us to turn to the God of comfort: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all . The Pope ends by saying that the mystery of man is revealed in Christ, and the mystery of man is very specially connected to suffering. This is why the mystery of pain shifts from pain in itself to the mystery of solidarity. One first needs to frame the enigma correctly and begin to seek its cause. 14). This is not to deny that, if the issue is significant enough, it can sometimes make sense to resort to the legal system. The Purpose of Pain. Jesus wants not just a pure bride, but a mature one as welland suffering produces growth and maturity in us. We don't have a choice whether we will sufferour choice is to go through it by ourselves or with God. Mediation or arbitration through the church or a professional arbiter offer pathways to reconciliation that seem far more compatible with the principles Jesus lays down in Matthew 18:15-20. For example, if a person is hit by a bus and has extensive injuries which will take a year to recover from and the insurance company places a value of $300 for each day, the settlement offer would be $109,500. We usually want our desire for comfort, love, mercy and justice to be satisfied in this life (and immediately, if at all possible. May pain and suffering be transformed into a source of strength for all humanity. A personal injury claim is governed by the same principles of compensation as a workers compensation claim. A description of the biblical steps can be found in Matthew 18:15-17. The problem of pain and suffering has perplexed humanity since the fall of man, and for good reason. . Love is the only key to deciphering the enigma of pain and suffering: love that can transform nothingness into full reality. The nothing from which this new world of happiness or the definitive Paradise flows is not an innocent nothingness but a guilty nothingness that is the greatest evil - sin - which leads definitively to the Cross. There is no doubt from what is written in the book of Acts that Paul recognized the authority and the responsibility of the government of Rome as well. Jesus himself deeply disappointed . There is nothing in Scripture that would prohibit you from defending yourself in this way. Exodus 21:27. Trials are nothing . More ouch! I have been asked to expound on John Paul II's incomparable thinking on human pain. Matthew 5:41-42 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. You cannot sue a doctor you overheard giving medical advice in a social setting. Witnesses may provide valuable testimony about what happened during these incidents so long as theyre not biased against either side: one witness might say that they saw their friend get punched, while another might say they saw two guys fighting outside their apartment building last nightsomething like this could help strengthen/weaken your case depending on what point of view each witness has taken toward something traumatic happening before their eyes! Sue Bohlin looks at suffering from a Christian perspective. Suffering is a result of the fall. depression. It is stated in the Bible that a Christian is not prohibited from suing a company for the collection of a lawful debt, but this does not mean that a Christian should exercise this right to sue a company. We need to be reminded that we are living in "Plan B." This makes it hard for judges, juries, and other decision makers to determine how much money should be awarded to an injured party because they dont know what type or degree of pain that individual has experienced since every case is different. People put questions to God about its cause and frequently reach the point of denying him when they are unable to discover the reason for it (cf. We naturally try to avoid suffering at all costs. If you or A Loved one have suffered an injury or death as a result of a property owners negligence, you are Going To have a lot of issues to deal with in the Future. Pastor Dick Bacon once said, "If this life were easy, we'd just love it too much. ibid.,n. You must be able to demonstrate that you had a direct relationship with the doctor you intend to sue. After many sleepless nights wracked by various kinds of pain, my friend Jan now knows what she was saved from. I like something else Oswald Chambers wrote: "Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness."2. One of the most rewarding reasons that suffering has value is experienced by those who can say with conviction, "I know how you feel. . This means that pain and suffering is calculated over and above medical expenses at that rate. Suffering can make us long for the new heaven and the new earth where God will set all things right again. California, for example, limits non-economic damages such as pain and suffering to $250,000 in . There are also times when this collective suffering becomes more acute. Other factors could involve the newsworthiness of your case, how far along in litigation the case is, and whether you bear any responsibility for the accident or injury. As for evil, it is a deprivation; it has no positive value in itself and therefore cannot be a positive cause or principle, for its origin is a mere privation. This definitive destruction of suffering through suffering leads us to destroy our actual suffering with the whole panoply of means at our disposal, as in the case of the Good Samaritan. In addition to individual suffering, there is collective suffering due to human errors and transgressions, especially war. Those who suffer tend to have tender hearts toward others who are in pain. Painful as they are, all our deaths and endings hold lessons we cannot live wisely without. All rights reserved. Suffering teaches us the difference between the important and the transient. The original version of this article is found at www.probe.org/the-value-of-suffering/. In Christ the enigma of pain and death is revealed. Thus, John Paul II leads us to scrutinize the meaning of human suffering in a mysterious and dazzling way, and which is also the only valid perspective; at last, the enigma becomes mystery. Life Insurance Attorney in Philadelphia, PA. Often times, yes. As for evil, it is a deprivation; it has no positive value in . Mental Pain and Suffering. Prior to beginning any legal action, we should also take into account the emotional and financial costs associated with it. He does not attempt to do so with the nebulous obscurity of myth but penetrates to the very core of the Christian faith. . I love this paraphrase of Romans 8:28: "The Lord may not have planned that this should overtake me, but He has most certainly permitted it. Some of the most committed christians i have encountered have been injured as a result of someone elses fault. My friend Pete buried his wife a few years ago after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. Suffering is that which proves one's character and integrity along with both the object and quality of one's faith. Paul means that the court system exists for matters of this life that are outside the church. Some suffering is due to our sinful and wrong choices, but some is due simply to the world being fallen. One of the most incredibly comforting things we can ever experience is someone else's tears for us. Anywhere between $1 million to $1.5 million for failure to diagnose cancer and other terminal diseases in medical malpractice cases; and. Ephesians 5:26-27 tells us He is making us holy by washing us with the Wordpresenting us to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish. Estimate the damages you are owed and send the responsible party a demand letter for that amount. There are many other options available besides suing those who have wronged us. panic attacks. Sometimes we hurt so much we can't pray. There is no question that corporations and businesses are entities controlled or owned solely by individuals, but they do not appear to have any rights under biblical guidelines, except by the rules of prevailing law. . It's a wound thatby God's gracehas never fully healed so that I can truly empathize with others out of the very real pain I still feel. In contrast to cold objectivity, however, it is something that indeed belongs to the objectivity of our being, but with the maximum loving subjectivity, since it is and depends upon our free will in such a way that we can accept or reject it. All Rights Reserved. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.. California, for example, limits non-economic damages such as pain and suffering to $250,000 in malpractice suits. Once youve identified who is at fault for your pain and suffering, its time for some detective work. That perspective was like a sweet balm to my soul, because it showed me that my suffering was not pointless. They had continued to suffer because of God's mercy and patience, who did not let them go before they received His gracious gift of salvation. Each person in his or her suffering is united with the suffering of Christ, and thus this suffering mysteriously becomes a source of life and resurrection. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Most settlements include confidentiality clauses, which prohibit the plaintiff from disclosing the amount of the settlement. When you're in pain, your world narrows down to mere survival, and it's easy for others to judge you for not "following the rules" that should only apply to those whose lives aren't being swallowed by the pain monster. One of the most powerful words of comfort I received when we were grieving our baby's loss was from a friend who said, "Your pain may not be about just you. Cardinal Barragn also visited several institutions connected with the Grunenthal Foundation for Palliative Care. An executive secretary earning $ 24 per hour God Used my Struggles with to... Like a sweet balm to my soul, because it showed me that my suffering not. 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