"Pain and suffering" is the everyday name for non-economic damages: compensation for physical pain, discomfort during recovery, anxiety, sleep disruption, and the activities an injury takes away — separate from countable losses like medical bills and missed paychecks.
In many injury claims, non-economic damages are a substantial part of the total — which is exactly why insurers minimize them. There is no fixed formula in California; the amount turns on how well the injury's real impact is documented and told.
What helps: consistent medical treatment (gaps read as "not really hurt"), telling providers about all symptoms, and keeping simple notes on what you can no longer do — lifting a child, sleeping through the night, driving without panic. Specific, dated details are worth more than adjectives.