When seeking financial compensation after someone else causes a car accident, you may first find yourself considering the short-term costs. You may have needed emergency treatment and medical care that you had to pay for. You may have missed a few days at work if you were recovering in the hospital or at home. You need compensation for lost wages and medical bills.
This is a good place to start, but it is not the only thing you need to think about. If you accept payment for only the short-term costs, you may find that you have unaffordable long-term expenses. But if your case has been closed, you can no longer seek compensation for them. This is why it’s so important to get full compensation upfront.
What would the long-term costs look like?
Exactly what costs you will face depends on the injury that you have, the type of medical care that you need and the severity of that injury.
But one example is a spinal cord injury, such as a high tetraplegia between the C4 and the C1 vertebrae. In the first year, industry experts estimate that this would cost you more than $1 million. It’s likely that these high costs would be the focal point of your lawsuit for compensation.
But after that, you may face nearly $200,000 annually in subsequent costs. Some of your long-term costs could include rehabilitation or other medical care. You may also discover that you can’t return to work or that you have a significantly diminished earning apacity.
Seeking compensation
If you have been injured, you can see how important it is to consider the total costs you’re going to face. It can help to have an experienced legal team on your side.