Calculating Damages From Car Accident Injuries and Other Issues Following A Serious Accident

We hate being the bearer of bad news but the misery is just starting now that a negligent driver injured you in a severe car accident. The good news is you’re entitled to compensation for the misery.

To help you navigate the terrain ahead, we wrote this article to prepare you. It enables you to think about some of the possible contingencies and questions of being injured in an accident such as do I need a lawyer or calculating damages for car wreck injuries. It allows you to know what the possibilities are and what to expect. We don’t address all the potential problems, only the major issues. Knowing what to expect can eliminate some of the stress.

Based on our experience, here are the top six major issues victims injured in a severe car wreck will face.

1. Painful Injuries. Dealing with painful injuries is serious business. The misery and suffering associated with car accident injuries can be debilitating. They also affect victims in unexpected ways. The most significant and sudden impact for many victims is immobility. Victims are left dependent on caregivers or wholly incapacitated. This frustration and sense of dependency add insult to the injuries. Normalcy is shattered, and recovery may be long and painful; but for most people, it will occur.
2. Loss of Consortium. If the victim is a wife or mother, she cannot care for her family or the house. Her husband or children will be neglected of her attention. We all know the impact on the family when the wife or mother is incapacitated. Nothing functions normally around the house. We live in a nontraditional area where men have taking on more of the household duties and many women are the breadwinners. However, for most families mom is still the ruler of the house, and when she down, the house is negatively affected.
3. Missing work. Most accident victims lose money when they miss work. They cannot afford to miss work. Their regular bills pile up, and their credit score takes a hit. Sometimes, employers terminate injured accident victims. Terminating injured victims is unfair and may be illegal, but it happens. Having a temporary source of income will help immensely. For many victims, that recourse is unemployment benefits. However, applying and receiving a decision can take weeks. Also, even if the applicant is approved, the benefits are only a fraction of one’s salary.
4. Replacing Transportation. Many accidents damage or destroy the only means of transportation for most families. Getting that vehicle repaired or replaced fast is imperative. That process can be a huge hassle. The other driver caused the accident, but her insurance company may refuse to take liability or need time to investigate the crash. Most states require insurance companies to deny or accept responsibility within a few days, usually between 15 to 30 days. Sometimes, however, the other driver has no insurance.
5. Pesky lawyers. Another important decision that injured victims must make is whether to hire an attorney and if so, which attorney. The adjuster indeed encourages victims not to involve lawyers. But can the adjuster be trusted? The lawyer will get part of any settlement but is that expense offset by the peace of mind of having an experienced and licensed attorney handle your case. If the answer is yes, now the question is which lawyer should you hire? This decision can cause significant anxiety because there are so many lawyers. There are the bigshot TV lawyers and the less known lawyers around the corner.
6. Medical bills. Here’s a typical scenario following a significant accident. EMS takes the injured victim to the local emergency room (ER). Two ER doctors evaluate her condition. They order x-rays and an MRI just to be on the safe side. They decide she needs to be hospitalized and she stays two nights. After her discharge, she follows-up with her primary care physician who recommends she sees a chiropractor. She sees a chiropractor, who treats her weekly for 27 weeks. The medical bills stack up. When she’s finally released from all medical treatment her bills total over a $120,000. Collection agencies are now calling and harassing her and reporting the bills to the credit agencies.

Our list isn’t exhaustive, but these are some of the potential problems an injured accident victim face. There are other problems as well however these are the major problems. Knowing what these problems are can help you prepare for them and preparation can bring peace. Preparation also helps you make wiser decisions. If we can be of any assistance helping you navigate these rough waters, please don’t hesitate to call. We’ve helped many victims just like you. We’re in the business of assisting victims in regaining normalcy and getting their lives back.