What is the Standard for Determining a Fair Amount to Award a Husband or Wife of an Personal Injury Victim?
Just like with the award of “pain and suffering” and related “non-economic” or “general” damages to the actual, injured person, there is no standard formula for calculating an amount that is “reasonable” to compensate the spouse. In fact, the portion of the instruction read to the trier of fact on figuring this sum states as follows:
“No fixed standard exists for deciding the amount of these damages. You must use your judgment to decide a reasonable amount based on the evidence and your common sense.”