We all get hurt from time to time. While some injuries are barely noticeable, others can make navigating life seem impossible. Due to the extreme forces involved, injuries from car accidents can be particularly painful and debilitating. Treating them may require intensive medical intervention over several weeks, months, or years. And the psychological consequences of suffering injuries in a car accident can last far longer than the physical ones. Yet many people do not realize just how financially costly these injuries can be. Medical treatment alone can cost tens of thousands of dollars. While receiving treatment and recovering, you may be unable to go to work and earn a living. Some injured people suffer disabilities that prevent them from ever returning to their jobs. If your injuries happened because of another person’s negligence, you have the right to claim compensation for your losses. Car accident claims address the following categories of losses: physiological, psychological, and financial. More practically, the compensation you could receive from a car accident claim could provide you with money for:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
Current and Future Medical Expenses
After a car accident, medical expenses can accumulate quickly. Yet if you were not at fault for the accident, you should not have to bear the financial cost of the medical attention you require. As such, you have the right to claim compensation for any medical expenses relating to your accident-related injuries. These include:- Emergency room visits
- Ambulance rides and EMT assistance
- Appointments with your primary care doctor
- Appointments with medical specialists
- Diagnostic tests and scans (X-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, etc.)
- Home health care
- Medical equipment (crutches, braces, wheelchairs)
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Mental health therapy
- Prescription and over-the-counter medications
- Transportation and accommodation costs if you must travel to receive treatment
- Household assistance such as cleaning or childcare if you are unable to perform these tasks due to your injuries
- Records from emergency medical services, including emergency room visits and ambulance rides
- Diagnostic records of your injuries
- Lab and test results
- Visual images of your injuries (photographs, MRI, X-rays, etc.)
- Medical notes or reports from your physician and any specialists you visit
- Records that span the extent of any physical or occupational therapy you receive
- Coverage summaries from your health insurer
- Bills, invoices, and receipts connected to these documents
Lost Income
Many people are unable to return to work immediately after an accident. Some must miss a day or two while they seek care. Others have temporary disabilities that prevent them from returning to work for weeks or months. Some face a lifetime of impairment. Your car accident claim allows you to seek compensation for whatever income you have lost because of your injuries. Succeeding in your compensation claim entails proving that the injuries you received from the accident kept you from working. These documents can serve as evidence for your claim:- Medical forms proving you cannot work (for example, a doctor’s note)
- Recent tax returns
- W-2 form
- Paystubs
- Correspondence from your employer detailing your current employment and wages
Reduced Earning Capacity
Some disabilities from accident-related injuries can prevent a person from returning to their job. For example, a significant shoulder injury might prevent a construction worker from going back to work on a building site. Other injured people may have disabilities so severe that they are unable to return to work at all. Either of these situations might qualify you for compensation for the money you would have earned throughout your work-life expectancy if you had not been in the accident. Lost earning capacity is a projection of future losses. These losses are usually relevant to a claim involving serious injuries with long-term consequences, such as:- Spinal cord/nerve damage resulting in paralysis
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Wrist injuries
- Severed limbs
- Third-degree burns
- Facial fractures
- Disfigurement
- Profession
- Residence and the location of your work
- Training and education
- Work history
- Talents, skills, and abilities
- Capacity to learn a new trade
- History of promotions, raises, and skill improvements
Property Damage
Your car accident claim can help you recover compensation for your damaged property as well as your injuries. After your physical health, the most obvious source of concern after a car crash is likely repairing or replacing your vehicle. And items you had within your car might have sustained damage as well, from laptops and cell phones to jewelry and other personal items. If someone else caused a car accident that damaged it, you can pursue compensation to repair or replace it. Further, you may have a property damage claim even if you were not an occupant of a vehicle. Car crashes that damage your home, fence, or landscaping may qualify you for compensation too. Your settlement or verdict may address:- Replacement value
- Repair costs
- Loss of use
- Subjective loss of sentimental value
Pain and Suffering
While many of the above categories involve dollar values, people who receive injuries in car accidents suffer non-economic losses as well. As such, you may be eligible to claim compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced due to the accident. These psychological losses include:- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Loss of enjoyment of activities
- Inconvenience
- Worry
- Physical pain
- Grief
- Loss of companionship
- Photographs of your injuries
- Expert statements from medical professionals
- Bills from your prescription drugs
- A pain journal, where you present details of the levels of pain you have experienced each day since the accident
- Medical records demonstrating the nature and extent of your injuries
- A daily journal where you present details of any changes of emotion or psychological anguish
- Expert testimony from mental health professionals that can provide more information about your psychological suffering
- Records of visits to counselors, psychologists, therapists, and psychiatrists
- Records that indicate changes in your behavior, habits, or performance at work
- The clear and total fault of the other party
- Obvious medical injuries that medical documentation can support
- Catastrophic or serious injuries requiring surgical intervention
- The expectation of a prolonged recovery period
- Permanent consequences such as pain or disability
Do I Need a Lawyer for My Car Accident Claim?
Many people believe they are capable of filing a car accident claim on their own. However, the process is complex and full of pitfalls. If you do not have experience navigating the world of personal injury law, you might not know the true value of your losses. A lack of understanding of how the process works can cause you to inadvertently devalue your claim. Moreover, insurance companies are notorious for doing everything they can to avoid paying out large sums of money. Insurance adjusters are almost certain to question you in a way that may lead you to accept responsibility for the accident. You may not be fully aware of their tactics, but saying the wrong thing can cost you the compensation you deserve. A good attorney will:- Consult with you about your involvement in the accident, as well as how the injuries have affected your life
- Investigate the collision to determine how and why it happened and who is at fault
- Negotiate with the insurance company for a fair compensation package
- File a lawsuit if the insurer refuses to offer you the full compensation you deserve