The story of Lazarus and the Rich man is a parable. Matthew 13:34 tells us that when Jesus spoke to the masses he ONLY spoke in parables.
Here is a good breakdown of the parable of Lazarus:
http://www.jeremyandchristine.com/articles/lazarus.html
What Matthew 13:34 actually says is "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them," "These things was while the Lord sitting by the sea side, where he spoke to "great multitudes" (Mt. 13:1,2) and then departs, while in other places as in Lk. 13 He teaches them both literal things as well as parables that use actual physical things which correspond to actual spiritual realities.
And here is where the parable polemic fails, for besides real names never being used in a parable, if Lk. 16:19-33 is a parable, then for the first and only time the Lord was using science fiction, for according to Annihilationism there is no suffering after the grave, thus unlike in other parables, the Lord would be using an fictional physical reality which corresponds to a spiritual reality.
In addition, the suffering that the rich man experiences is a poor illustration of what the parable polemic sets forth in its interpretation, that of the Pharisees being represented by the rich man and suffering exclusion, as in according to Annihilationism these will not be enduring long term suffering for relief immediate after death in a place of torment, but will be simply annihilated after the last judgment.
Moreover, even if Lk. 16:19ff is a parable, then the spiritual reality it represents can better correspond to the final judgment, with Abraham and the saints representing the jury,as the saints shall sit in judgment, and and the rich man representing the lost, such as who example their lack of Christian faith by not caring for the truly needy, and resulting in the everlasting torment which Scripture warns of.
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:" "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:" (Matthew 25:31-32)
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" (Matthew 25:41)
"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 25:46)
"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10)