If you get injured in a car accident, you may need compensation fairly quickly. After all, if you are transported to the hospital by ambulance, you are going to have transportation costs and medical bills instantly. If you get in an accident on your way to work, you are at least going to miss that day’s wages.
These are good places to start when seeking compensation from the other driver who caused the crash. But be sure that you also think about the long-term financial impact of the accident so that you get the full compensation you deserve.
Lost earning capacity
One example is if you have a reduced earning capacity, which means that you will earn less going forward than you would have before the accident. Say that you suffer a spinal cord injury or a traumatic brain injury that leaves you with a long-term disability. You may still be able to work, but if you have to take a new job that does not pay as much as you were earning before, you could lose wages for the rest of your career.
Additional medical needs
Depending on the nature of your injuries, you may also need more medical care following that initial visit to the hospital. If you have suffered serious injuries, you may have to go to physical rehabilitation, for instance. If you have a brain injury, you may need MRIs or other scans to see how the healing is progressing. It is not just the life-saving emergency medical care that you will end up paying for due to that car accident.
As you seek financial compensation in these areas and many others, be sure you are well aware of all the legal options at your disposal.