People injured in a car crash will have a stack of bills to pay on the same day that the collision occurs. Tow truck invoices, statements from hospitals and even an ambulance bill can all add financial pressure to an already stressful situation.
Worrying about those expenses is totally normal, and people are often eager to cover those costs as soon as they are able to do so. However, in some cases, people are so eager to get compensation to pay for some of the crash-related expenses that they end up doing themselves a disservice by settling a claim for less than it is worth. There are many expenses beyond the immediate costs that accrue right after a crash to consider.
Lost wages
The worse someone’s injuries are, the greater the possibility that they will struggle to work after getting hurt. Some people require weeks or months away from work to heal from their injuries. Other times, lasting injuries may force people to change professions or to quit working earlier in life than they intended.
Lost household services
Individuals directly benefit from the work that every member of the family does around the home. The more unpaid services someone provides for their family, the greater the likely impact of their inability to do that work. For example, a full-time stay-at-home parent provides work that could amount to over $175,000 in salary if one were to pay a professional for those services.
The need for household accommodations
Individuals with functional limitations caused by serious injuries often need to make adjustments to their homes, their workplaces and their vehicles. Often, employers will absorb the cost of workplace accommodations, but making a house or vehicle wheelchair accessible, for example, will be costs that someone will need to work into a personal injury claim or figure out how to cover on their own.
Families that have a better understanding of the true economic impact of a recent car crash may need to consider whether the circumstances warrant a personal injury lawsuit to better compensate them for the costs they will incur as a result of another’s negligence.
