Lewis seemed to have a good grasp on this. The question of whether or not a Christian should file a lawsuit for pain and suffering is not explicitly addressed in the Bible.. His one aim is the production of saints. This reality is a stark reminder that we have not reached the new heavens and new earth. 8). If we turn toward God in our pain, He can use our suffering to mature our faith. Exodus 21:22 states that if men who were fighting struck a pregnant woman during a fight and she gave birth prematurely but without serious injury, then the offender had to pay a fine equivalent to what the womans husband demanded and the court approved. Depending on the issue, you may have strong opinions about it. It was the most horrible suffering we've ever known. The amount of money you seek in your lawsuit can depend on your injury and also the legal limits in your jurisdiction. Christian K. Lassen II View Profile . Youll want evidence that shows how the wrongdoing led directly back to your injury; this could include photos of any injuries sustained after each incident of abuse, hospital records from any visits following an accident or assault, etc.. 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. 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! They will know if it really would glorify God or not. Those who suffer tend to have tender hearts toward others who are in pain. 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. They would be entitled to compensation for their economic injuries separately (the cost of medical care and lost wages). More ouch! In Matthew 5:25, Jesus tells us that. Used with permission. No set standard exists for calculating how pain and suffering should be compensated. In addition to the comments above, you should also know that you are likely obligated to arbitrate your claim with Kaiser rather than sue in court. Meghann Cuniff is a legal affairs journalist who is a veteran of daily newspapers and has deep experience reporting on complex civil litigation, including mass torts and class actions, securities cases, patent disputes and high-stakes litigation involving major tech companies. The Lord Jesus has His work cut out for Him in purifying us for Himself (Titus 2:14). According to Jesus, you should settle an argument with an adversary even before you go to court. Draft a demand letter. ibid.,n. In this way we are within the nucleus of salvation. Get Your Free Consultation From a Lawyer Near You. The reason is because the standards, values, philosophies and culture of the world are opposed to Biblical values. Love is the only key to deciphering the enigma of pain and suffering: love that can transform nothingness into full reality. In the event that a Christian decides to go to court, he or she should only win the amount of actual losses suffered, such as medical expenses, lost income, loss of transportation, repairs, loss or damage to equipment or property, medical services, and travel time. He goes on to say: It must be someone who was in a position to be treating you. 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. 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. Then we can turn around and walk alongside others in their pain, showing the compassion that our own suffering has produced in us. Give to the one who asks you, and does not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from does. Pain is inevitable; none of us is able to opt out of it. Being cut off from good is an evil. 11). We usually want our desire for comfort, love, mercy and justice to be satisfied in this life (and immediately, if at all possible. 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. This the opinion of Job's friends (cf. There are better ways to handle disputes among believers. (Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, 166). Despite this, verses 4 and 5 of that passage suggest that the dispute should be referred to a church member for resolution to resolve the issue. Pain and suffering damages are often the largest part of a . Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Sometimes He trusts us with great pain in order to make a point, whether the intended audience is believers, unbelievers, or the spirit realm. You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. Ever since the fall of Adam, we keep forgetting that God created us to depend on Him and not on ourselves. A temptation to power and self-exaltation lay in the late Jewish promise of the coming of the Messiah-Son of Man. New York, meanwhile, has no caps on any damages, economic, non-economic or punitive. 2022 12 Aug. ibid.,n. The sin committed by a person spreads by joint human liability. You can transform our nation one family at a time! 2001. What happens when one Christian sues another Christian? In fact, in the Book of Job and someother Books of the Old Testament the answer is that the cause of evil the transgression of the natural order created by God. In addition to individual suffering, there is collective suffering due to human errors and transgressions, especially war. With all this said, it is important to remember that you need to ask yourself if you would want to be forgiven by God if you were in trouble? Avvo Rating: 10. 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. Christ himself is the One who was cared for, and the one who fell into the hands of bandits is cared for and helped. How to Ask for An Unspoken Prayer Request on Facebook? 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. Suffering is a passive or active attitude to evil, or rather, to the lackof a good that it would be desirable to possess(cf. . There are many other options available besides suing those who have wronged us. 3 attorney answers. An eternal God provides humans with an existence beyond the grave. ", Sometimes our suffering isn't a consequence of our actions or even someone else's. Those who have suffered tend not to judge others experiencing similar suffering. Cases include: Pain and suffering can be caused by injuries such as: Factors that affect the amount of a pain and suffering settlement include: In most cases the settlement you are seeking is paid by an insurance company and the policy limits control how much of a settlement they offer. Some do this through their work (doctors, nurses, engineers, plumbers, and so on). Pain and suffering. The fear that accompanies suffering drives us to the Father like a little kid burying his face in his daddy's leg. 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. The Bible does talk about mediation, which could be considered a form of suing for your rights. To determine whether you can sue for pain and suffering damages, you must first look at liability in your case. Suffering often develops compassion and mercy in us. It prefigures the Lord's passion (cf. This divine action is an act of the Most Holy Trinity since the Eternal Father gave his Son to humanity so that he might redeem it through the work of the Holy Spirit. Today the existence of evil still looms as perhaps the largest objection to the Christian faith. But in matters of . Articles and answers on lots of topics at Probe.org. You can sue for pain and suffering for economic and non-economic losses. Some suffering is due to our sinful and wrong choices, but some is due simply to the world being fallen. He not only teaches those we rub shoulders with every day, but He instructs the countless millions of angels and demons. This is a Trinitarian and Christological solidarity in which the absolute fullness of life is attained through death. Suffering is excellent at teaching us humble dependence on God, the only appropriate response to our Creator. Economic damages: $5,000. The origin of the privation is sin. We don't have a choice whether we will sufferour choice is to go through it by ourselves or with God. God says a lot about suffering in Scripture so that you know where to look when the pain comes to you. These verses are like sandpaper on our modern sentiments about suffering. 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. I am not aware of any biblical restrictions regarding the right of a person to sue a corporation. . . Wherever there is suffering, there is a battle a battle for your soul. Applying a biblical worldview to this difficult subject results in a distinctly different approach to suffering than our natural inclination of blame and self pity. 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! Special (pain and suffering) damages: $10,000 ($5,000 x 2) Total: $15,000. Please try again later. The lack of meaning, the lack of direction, the radical anticulture, contradiction, death: in a fullness of meaning, of orientation, in an ascendant culture, in joyous affirmation, in life: folly and stupidity, in what is wisest and most sensible, it is the intimate solidarity of love triumphant that raises, in loving solidarity with the most atrocious suffering that kills. Only God can bestow this solidarity upon us. I have overcome the world" ( John 16:33 ). Ray and I lost our first baby when she was born too prematurely to survive. . Suffering dispels the cloaking mists of inconsequential distractions of this life and puts things in their proper perspective. Exodus 21:27. After many sleepless nights wracked by various kinds of pain, my friend Jan now knows what she was saved from. The problem of pain and suffering has perplexed humanity since the fall of man, and for good reason. 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. It is God the Father who provides the answer to the problem of suffering: it consists in the fact that he "gives" his Son to the world. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. But God brings suffering in our lives for the sake of our eternal joy yes, even glory. Suffering is abnormalour souls protest, "This isn't right!" Suffering is powerfully able to get us back on track. We can comfort others with the comfort that we have received from God (2 Cor. Like Mary in the example above, your pain and suffering may consist mostly of economic losses such as: Cost of medical care You must be able to demonstrate that you had a direct relationship with the doctor you intend to sue. This infinite solidarity is infinite Love, which is the Holy Spirit who has been poured out into our hearts, an infinite Love that is God himself. My friend Pete buried his wife a few years ago after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. Only by experiencing the mystery can we penetrate it with our minds. Should Christians be involved in lawsuits? ibid.,n. 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. 12). . The multiplier method totals all the plaintiffs medical bills from the injury and multiplies that total by a number between 1.5 and 5. Deep suffering of the soul is also a taste of hell. With the Cross, he overcomes sin, and with his Resurrection, death (Jn 3:16; cf. In Christ the enigma of pain and death is revealed. The Pope is aware of the difficulty of reasoning in this way and therefore tells us that the reality of suffering in solidarity should only be understood through the Resurrection. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an . Should I sue them for my pain and suffering? 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. His suffering is redemptive; its depth can be measured by the depth of the evil in the history of the world, especially since the person who suffers it is God (cf. We all experience pain, and even suffering at some time in our lives. The apostle Paul wrote, We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:89). 1. That's what suffering will do for us. They've lost track of history. Matthew 5:25. But Jesus said, I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. We get to the point of saying, "Lord, I can only make it through today if You help me . The only answer [to the "why" of suffering] can come from the love of God in the Cross (cf. He was completely dependent on the Father, choosing to become weak so that God's strength could shine through Him. Pain and suffering can can be a blessing. Since the injuries are moderate, the insurance company might use a multiplier of 3 and offer a settlement of $15,000 for the pain and suffering component of the lawsuit. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Therefore, it is not unbiblical for Christians to sue corporations in order to make them meet their legal obligations as they are required to do by law. Losing heart is a great spiritual danger. Many Christians only know they're saved without grasping what it is Christ has delivered them from. Less serious injuries still can bring large settlements depending on the length of hospitalization, physical therapy, and counseling that is involved. They were persecuted, treated maliciously, and even killed. Lets say a Christian contractor performed work on a brother Christians house, but the brother refused to pay. My husband once told me that heaven is more real to me than anyone he knows. 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