Pain is inevitable because we live in a fallen world. Prior to filing a lawsuit, a person should attempt to settle his claim before he files a lawsuit. 2001. 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! Some Christians seek to dodge the problem by imagining that suffering always marks the presence [] Serve the defendants notice of your lawsuit. The Bible tells us that the world is at enmity with God and at enmity with Christians. Pope John Paul II states: "Suffering is something which is still wider than sickness", because there is a "distinction between physical suffering and moral suffering" (Salvifici Doloris, n. 5). The etymological root of the word helps us understand something about it: "mystery" derives from the Greek "M" or "M", which means closing the eyes, not in the sense of going about blind, but of closing the eyes if they are dazzled, such as occurs, for instance, when we look directly at the sun. The New Jerusalem of no tears and no pain, of no mourning and no death, hasnt arrived yet (Revelation 21:1, 4). By Rick Warren. It is quite understandable that this would happen. After hearing their testimonies, few would deny that suffering produces beauty and maturity of spirit. There are several kinds of personal injury suits, all of which can result in pain and suffering settlements. One first needs to frame the enigma correctly and begin to seek its cause. It is a core part of the Christian vocation to seek to relieve the suffering of others. The wisdom we need in this world often wears black. How does the Christian respond biblically? After many sleepless nights wracked by various kinds of pain, my friend Jan now knows what she was saved from. That's what suffering will do for us. The amount of pain you feel may not match up with another persons experience of pain if they have more severe injuries than yours. 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. And what is the link between experiencing suffering and equipping for ministry? Get Your Free Consultation From a Top Lawyer. What if the person in question is a believer? The whole context of 1 Corinthians 6:1-6 deals with disputes in the church, but Paul does reference the court system when he speaks of judgments concerning things pertaining to this life. Theology of suffering is the study of what the Bible says about suffering while considering who God is and the current state of humanity. Posted on Feb 6, 2012. Special (pain and suffering) damages: $10,000 ($5,000 x 2) Total: $15,000. 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. Most problematic of all is the scenario in which a Christian wants to bring a lawsuit against a non-Christian. ibid.,n, 16}. 12:6). Pain and suffering is one of the 76 Important factors affecting injury claims and settlements. The hosts in heaven stand amazed when they observe God sustain hurting people with His peace."4. Suffering Allows Us to Minister. Suffering, the Pope says, consists in feeling cut off from good. Article contributed by Probe Ministries 2008 Ron Blue. 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. Luke 14:31-32. Determining If You Can Sue for Pain and Suffering Damages. Suffering scoops us out, making our hearts bigger so that we can hold more love for Him. Has Focus on the Family helped you or your family? Thus, suffering involves solidarity (cf. One of the most incredibly comforting things we can ever experience is someone else's tears for us. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. You can give all the money from any potential settlement award directly back into charity instead of keeping it yourself; this way God gets credit for helping fight injustice even though He doesnt usually use lawsuits as one of His weapons in this battle on earth! There is no easy answer to this question. Through all this I've been brought closer to God. Should Christians be involved in lawsuits? This is in addition to a separate amount covering the medical bills and lost work the plaintiff has as economic damages. This is the central mystery of the entire Christian religion, not in the abstract nor in an immensely remote way, but in a closeness present in human history into whose temporal dimensions eternity bursts, through the historical Incarnation of the Word with his birth, life, passion, death and Resurrection. 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. 28). Her per diem is $192 x 30 days for a total of $5,760 for her pain . All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. The solution to the mystery of evil is not only discovered through theological exposition but also by experiencing that something which, if steadily gazed at, darkens because of its excessive brightness yet is very real - we can say the most real reality -, for it is the only way to happiness. As well as striking the blow, the man was also responsible for seeing to it that the injured man was fully healed after the blow was struck. The only answer [to the "why" of suffering] can come from the love of God in the Cross (cf. To determine whether you can sue for pain and suffering damages, you must first look at liability in your case. Pastor Dick Bacon once said, "If this life were easy, we'd just love it too much. This is now official and organized through health-care institutions and the professionals who work in them, and also through volunteers. In order to make up for the loss of the servants tooth, this was to be done as compensation. 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. I have been asked to expound on John Paul II's incomparable thinking on human pain. But in order for someone to say those powerful words"I know just how you feel because I've been there"that person had to walk through the same difficult valley first. 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? It is required of you, however, to treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector (i.e., a nonbeliever) if he refuses to listen to the church. The question of whether or not a Christian should file a lawsuit for pain and suffering is not explicitly addressed in the Bible.. But take heart! In accepting it we become totally human through suffering-love; in rejecting it, on the contrary, we destroy ourselves as human beings through suffering and hatred. God is teaching other beings about Himself and His loved onesusas He did with Job. The cost for severe injuries, such as a traumatic brain injury, will likely be multiplied by a higher number. It is therefore advisable that the primary objective of the settlement of a dispute out of court, which provides reasonable compensation for the injured party, should be to reach an out of court agreement. The point of Job's trials was to enable heavenly beings to see God glorified in Job. The original version of this article is found at www.probe.org/the-value-of-suffering/. There are several references in the Bible to compensating a person for a loss they have suffered. a. a place of unending suffering and pain. 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. The life of God is infinitely perfect in each one of the divine Persons through the internal solidarity between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Less serious injuries still can bring large settlements depending on the length of hospitalization, physical therapy, and counseling that is involved. or the next hour . 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! But how? The sin committed by a person spreads by joint human liability. Karen told Sue she knew of a Christian counselor who did therapy at a reduced rate. In these two verses, Paul lists several types of suffering mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. 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. Measuring Pain and Suffering Damages. Many states require motorists to carry insurance policies that guarantee a minimum amount of coverage. According to Jesus, you should settle an argument with an adversary even before you go to court. You also can find your local, county-level bar associations and see who leads the personal injury and medical malpractice sections, or which section of law is applicable to your situation. Before you can recover any compensation for your injuries, you must be able to prove liability against the defendant. Painful as they are, all our deaths and endings hold lessons we cannot live wisely without. All rights reserved. A week later the wife died, followed in six months by her husband. For example, if the actual cost of the injury was $1,000, pain and . Focus on the Familys counselors would be happy to listen to your concerns and come alongside you with some practical suggestions. This is a Trinitarian and Christological solidarity in which the absolute fullness of life is attained through death. AN INDEPT LOOK INTO THE PHRASE GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES IN CHRISTIANITY, Christian Organizations that Help the Poor. Then . The disciples experienced two different storms out on the lake. 2. You can sue for pain and suffering for economic and non-economic losses. The mystery of suffering is contained in the mystery of Love, in the mystery of the Spirit. ibid.,n. Generally speaking, then, its a good idea to avoid lawsuits. Those who suffer tend to have tender hearts toward others who are in pain. New York, meanwhile, has no caps on any damages, economic, non-economic or punitive. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); How Can Two Walk Together Except They Agree? For example, if an individual's medical bills amounted to $50,000, the calculated pain and suffering for a 3X multiplier would peg damages at $150,000. Some survivors, like Sue, wonder how there could be a God who would allow an innocent child to endure such pain and suffering, and others see no meaning or purpose in life. In the event that one suffers personal loss as a result of the negligence or deceit of a business or company, should a Christian file a lawsuit against them? A Christian who is directed to abandon any legal action by God must do so willingly in order to follow His direction. C.S. Many different cultures have their own interpretations of why people suffer. Our culture disdains weakness, but our frailty is a sign of God's workmanship in us. While I Believe that the bible does not directly state that Christians Are to hold corporations and wrongdoers accountable on behalf of others, it is consistent with the focus on justice that scripture places on the law to hold that View. All rights reserved. Related Topics: Discipleship, Discipline, Sanctification, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Life, Suffering, Trials, Persecution, Women's Articles, Sue Bohlin is a speaker/writer and webservant for Probe Ministries, a Christian organization that helps people to think biblically. In many cases the legal system can sort out the facts and come to a resolution far more quickly and effectively than the concerned individuals could on their own. 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. It can be hard to place a dollar value on the value of one days pain however. But not always. Exodus 21:27. Suffering can make us long for the new heaven and the new earth where God will set all things right again. Injured people sometimes use claims related to pain as a way to justify higher payouts than those warranted by actual damages caused by negligence or wrongdoing; these types of lawsuits are generally referred to as pain and suffering cases because their goal is simply to receive compensation for an injury-related problem without regard for how much damage was actually done (i.e., whether or not someone was hurt). Insurance companies typically limit what they pay in accordance with policy limits, but your lawyer may be able to reference your car being totaled when arguing for a pain and suffering settlement. I am not aware of any biblical restrictions regarding the right of a person to sue a corporation. Consequently, the cause of suffering is an evil; so, suffering and evil can be identified with each other. She's based in Southern California. Christians should benchmark their decision against what they believe God would want them to do. He not only teaches those we rub shoulders with every day, but He instructs the countless millions of angels and demons. And if we look at our lives through Gods eyeswhich always include forgiveness as part of His perfect planthen maybe suing isnt necessary at all! Judges 4:5. . The Lord Jesus has a big job to do, changing His ragamuffin church into a glorious bride worthy of the Lamb. In Exodus 21:18-19, money damages are allowed for wages lost and medical care (Exodus 21:18-19), for pain and suffering (Exodus 21:22), and for the permanent impairment of a body part (Exodus 21:27). 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. Avvo has 97% of all lawyers in the US. Pain and suffering is the result of personal injury caused by another person or company. But God brings suffering in our lives for the sake of our eternal joy yes, even glory. 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 don't have a choice whether we will sufferour choice is to go through it by ourselves or with God. Rather, the disputed matter should be arbitrated or judged by a wise Christian or Christians. ibid.,n. ibid., n. 13). *** b. a source of wealth to conquer in the name of one's ancestors. Rhonda is an executive secretary earning $24 per hour. The fear that accompanies suffering drives us to the Father like a little kid burying his face in his daddy's leg. Following a car accident, plaintiffs can generally sue for monetary damages (such as medical bills, medications, assistive technology, and lost wages), as well as for non-monetary damages, like pain and suffering, which includes . 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. By offering a free consultation, they can get your information and market other services to you. ibid.,n. Ohio limits non-economic damages in all torts to $250,000 or three times economic damages, capped at $350,000 for a single plaintiff or $500,000 total if there are multiple plaintiffs. Matthew 5:41-42 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. . Only by experiencing the mystery can we penetrate it with our minds. 1 Thessalonians 3:3 reminds us that we are "destined for trials." After differentiating "natural" evil (e.g., tornados), "malicious" evil (e.g., sexual assault), and "accidental" evil (e.g., a bridge collapse)and observing that this isn't a uniquely Christian challenge ("No matter your worldview, you must face the reality of suffering and evil")Carson proceeds to reveal the six pillars. 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