Car accident, how much for pain & suffering??

My sister & I were in a car accident & it was all the other person's fault. She sprained her shoulder, I got whippedlash & SEVERAL muscle strains in back/shoulders/neck. We both hurt, but w/work & the work I do for my nursing class it hurts my back even worse & I'm not giving up on what I do. How much can I actually get for pain & suffering from the insurance company?? Or do I need to contact a lawyer & sue the guy or would the process take too long for me to get anything out of it??

Oh I forgot to mention... my back hurts more than anything, it hurts from my neck straight down my spine & hurts the most in the dead center of my back.....
?????

Don鈥檛 bother with a lawyer...you'd have to spend too much. I was in a roll-over five years ago. I don't know how bad your accident was, but I was left with a lot of back pain...which I still have to this day. I was awarded 20,000...this covered the cost of my truck (about 15k) and medical (about 5k). I should have pressed for more because now I am left with back pain for the rest of my life. I once really enjoyed lifting weights and going to the gym...that is something I really cannot do now. When dealing with the insurance company, be extremely careful with how you phrase things. For example, I did not just "hurt my back really bad." Instead, "the crash resulted in a back injury that has prevented me from engaging in my normal activities of daily living...including not only my hobbies, but my education & work as well." My final advice to you is to hold out on settling with the insurance company. Find out exactly how long you legally have to settle. This will give you time to see if you truly have injures that may last a lifetime. Best of Luck!

usually 3x the medical bills.