Souffrances endurées (the pain and suffering endured up to consolidation, rated 1 to 7) are assessed in two stages: the medical expert sets a degree on a scale of 1 to 7, then that degree is translated into euros from the indicative reference guides and comparable case law. This head compensates the physical and mental suffering borne by the victim between the accident and consolidation. It has no statutory value: two files at the same degree can lead to different amounts depending on the case law retained.
In the nomenclature Dintilhac (the court-endorsed classification of the heads of personal-injury loss), souffrances endurées (sometimes noted "SE") are a non-economic, temporary loss. They cover all the physical and mental suffering endured because of the injuries, from the day of the accident up to consolidation, that is, the date on which the victim's condition has stabilised. After consolidation, permanent suffering no longer falls under this head but is taken into the permanent functional deficit.
In concrete terms, this head takes in the pain of the injuries themselves, the pain of the care and procedures (operations, rehabilitation, sessions), and the psychological impact of the event and of its treatment.
The medical expert assesses souffrances endurées on a scale of seven degrees, from the lowest to the highest, in light of the nature of the injuries, the duration and the intensity of care. Half-degrees (1.5/7, 2.5/7) are in common use.
| Degree | Qualification |
|---|---|
| 1/7 | Very slight |
| 2/7 | Slight |
| 3/7 | Moderate |
| 4/7 | Medium |
| 5/7 | Fairly substantial |
| 6/7 | Substantial |
| 7/7 | Very substantial |
The lawyer does not set the degree: they value the head from the one retained by the expert.
There is no statutory scale for the degree. Practitioners rely on the indicative reference guides, notably the personal-injury compensation guide of the courts of appeal (the référentiel Mornet, September 2025 edition), which offers a range of amounts for each degree.
But a reference guide remains indicative. The amount actually retained depends on what the courts award on comparable degrees, hence the value of reasoning directly from the published decisions.
Across the published personal-injury decisions where this head is valued, the median for souffrances endurées, all degrees combined, sits around 6,500 euros (more than 19,000 published decisions). This overall figure gives an order of magnitude, not a value applicable to a specific file: at equal degree, amounts vary widely from one decision to the next.
Two findings stand out clearly from the base. First, the progression is not linear: one degree more, sometimes even a half-degree, can weigh several thousand euros. This is why the rating retained by the expert deserves to be discussed at the medical stage, not only at the valuation stage. Second, at equal degree, the dispersion stays wide: two files rated the same do not end up at the same amount, which leaves real room for argument by comparison.
There remains the concrete question: how much for a given degree, at a given age, in a given injury context? An overall order of magnitude is not enough to answer it. It is the comparison with decisions actually handed down on close profiles that makes it possible to set and defend an amount.
A valuation is all the more solid when it rests on comparable decisions. Testing a file against decisions at the same degree, a close age and a close injury context makes it possible to justify the amount claimed and anticipate the other side's position. That is the work Plato, the only AI specialised in personal injury, automates: it ties each amount to its base of more than 84,000 quantified decisions, and every figure stays traceable back to the decision it comes from. See also our complete personal-injury valuation guide and the nomenclature Dintilhac.
What is the souffrances endurées head?
It is the head of the nomenclature Dintilhac that compensates the physical and mental suffering borne by the victim between the accident and consolidation. It is temporary: after consolidation, permanent suffering falls under the permanent functional deficit.
How are souffrances endurées assessed?
By the medical expert, on a scale of 1 to 7, from the slightest to the most substantial, according to the nature of the injuries and the intensity of care. Half-degrees are in common use.
Is there a scale for souffrances endurées?
No, no statutory scale. Indicative reference guides (the référentiel Mornet in particular) offer ranges by degree, which comparable case law lets you narrow down on a specific file.
What amount for a degree of souffrances endurées?
It depends heavily on the degree, age and context. All severities combined, the median observed in published decisions is around 6,500 euros, but a reliable amount for a specific file means comparing it with decisions handed down at the same degree and on a close profile.
How much is one more half-degree worth?
A lot: the progression is not linear, a half-degree can represent several thousand euros. This is what makes discussing the rating, at the assessment stage, decisive.
Souffrances endurées and permanent functional deficit, what is the difference?
Souffrances endurées cover the temporary period, before consolidation. The permanent functional deficit covers the definitive sequelae, after consolidation.
Can this head be valued automatically?
Yes. A vertical tool like Plato proposes an amount supported by comparable decisions at the same degree, which speeds up the valuation and makes it more reliable.