Pain and suffering awards take off as a result of efforts by pioneering trial lawyers such as Melvin Belli. See Melvin M. Belli, The Adequate Award, 39 Cal. L. Rev. 1 (1951). Trial lawyers become adept at increasing awards for pain and suffering. For example, in the 1930s, awards greater than $10,000 were uncommon, but only 20 years later, there were 53 verdicts of $100,000 or more in a single nine-month period—a cumulative impact of more than $5 million in just nine months. See Philip L. Merkel, Pain and Suffering Damages at Mid-Twentieth Century: A Retrospective View of the Problem and the Legal Academy’s First Reponses, 34 Cap. U. L. Rev. 545 (2006). Read More