Car accidents are a common cause of accruing personal injuries. Ranging from speeding up to traffic collisions to congested streets, multiple factors result in car accidents. But what next!
Such accidents can bring a lot of stress, frustration, pain, and distress and make the victim party suffer for a lifetime. And, if the victim party is not financially stable and capable enough to bear the expenses, the condition can worsen and cripple someone for life.
A ray of hope in such a despair moment is that if you have met with an accident due to the other party’s negligence, you can file a lawsuit and claim for the damages. For this, the insurance company of the faulty person requires proof and evidence to pass the claim.
But how do you claim compensation? What are the types of compensation that you are entitled to? How can you seek maximum compensation?
Here in this guide, we will help you traverse through the various types of injuries caused due to a traffic collision, the type of compensations you are eligible for, and a few tips to seek maximum compensation:
Types of injuries caused due to a car collision
Injuries borne due to traffic accidents can be varied based on the intensity of the collision and individual circumstances. Sometimes, a car accident may result in minor injuries that can resolve within a few days, and sometimes it can be severe enough to make a person dependent on others.
Here we list a few types of injuries that occur due to a car accident:
Burns
Car accidents may sometimes let out the fire and cause burns and bruises on the victim’s body. The burns can be severe enough to affect the skin and tissue adversely, posing a potential threat to the victim’s life.
Further, such burns can result in permanent scars, nerve damage, disfigurement, etc., which can cause physical trauma and pain to the victim for the rest of their life.
Spinal cord injury
Car accidents can even injure the spinal cord and cause permanent disability. Sometimes spinal cord injuries can be severe enough to cause paralysis, which may make the victim lose sensation in their legs, trunk, or arm and restrict them to using a wheelchair.
Spinal cord injuries can also cause secondary issues such as loss of bladder control, etc.
Amputations
A car crash can also cause amputation of a particular organ such as a hand or leg due to the force with which the collision occurred. Due to the car crash, there are also chances that a particular organ might be amputated surgically based on the severity of the accident.
Further, the victim may be required to use prosthetics throughout their lifetime to bear with the loss. On the contrary, being able to afford prosthetics is an expensive affair and can also limit the mobility factor of the victim besides causing pain while using the same.
Brain injuries
In case of a car wreck or accident, if something hits the skull hard, the victim may even fall prey to traumatic brain injuries. A person who suffers such a fate may experience a catastrophic change in their life after such an incident.
Ranging from the inability to move properly to being unable to speak, read and concentrate properly, several other issues come associated with brain injuries.
Damage to internal organs
Apart from accruing injuries, one can also accrue internal damages that may not be visible initially. Such damages may be seen on internal organs such as kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, and other internal organs that can be life-threatening.
Such internal injuries demand surgery and may even require an organ transplant which can be painful besides being a costly affair.
Types of compensation
All such injuries mentioned above not only cost you huge talking in terms of money but can be a life-changing incident. From suffering the pain to becoming physically disabled or facing mobility limitations, there are numerous things one has to suffer when one meets with a serious car accident. And, all such treatments can also land a victim in a financial crisis.
Hence, it is imperative to understand the various types of compensation that one is entitled to meet the financial crunch. Based on the injuries and the damage caused, there arises a need for chalking out a structured element for a compensation settlement.
Here are a few types of compensation allowed in the case of car accidents:
- Medical expenses
Needless to say, medical expenses are one of the most probable compensation that a victim stands eligible to bear the expenses of medications, hospitalization, therapy, doctor visits, and other associated expenses. Medical compensation also includes the cost of prosthetics, wheelchairs, and other similar assistive aids.
- Loss of earnings
Apart from the physical injuries, car accidents may force a person to sit back at home until and unless they recover completely and become fit to resume official duties. Though in most offices, there are rules in place that allow paid medical leaves, these leaves are governed by specific rules and restrictions.
Additionally, when a victim is injured badly, they can take months to recover, and they might not get full pay for the tenure they are on leave. Also, if one becomes permanently disabled or has to change their job in such a condition, they stand entitled to compensation that can make up for the lost income due to the injuries accrued.
- Personal assistance
At times, a car accident can be so catastrophic that one may become disabled. And, even if one is not permanently disabled, they may have to depend on someone during the initial days to help cope with their daily needs.
Such a condition opens doorways for appointing a personal care worker who can assist the victim in every possible way to cater to the daily activities and medical needs. The cost of such a personal care worker can also be added to the compensation settlement.
Tips for seeking compensation in case of a car accident
A car accident not only causes pain and suffering but also causes emotional distress and trauma that stands eligible for compensation. Here are a few tips that you need to follow to obtain compensation while you confront a traffic collision:
Check out for injuries
If you are physically able after the accident, check yourself and other car occupants for injuries and seek help. In such a situation, do not talk to the driver of the faulty party or get into any agreement and arrangement made by the driver. Do not leave the accident spot until and unless the local cops and ambulance arrive.
Be careful about what you say
While you wait at the accident spot for help to arrive, make efforts to comfort the injury of the people who have accrued injuries. But do not give or make any statements that can go against you at a later stage.
Also, do not say things such as “I am sorry,” “I didn’t see you”, and similar other things. Even if there has been a slight mistake from your side, do not make any statements about the same. Insurance companies do not wish to pay you the whole amount as compensation, and they are always in search of ways to reduce the compensation amount as much as possible.
Thus, avoid making statements that can act as a weapon to lower the entitled amount for your insurance claim.
Hire an attorney
At times, the adjuster’s words and appeal may seem sympathetic but remember they are not your friends, and you need to maintain this thin line of difference. When the insurance company adjuster stands in front of you, they are just a representative of the insurance company, and they try all their tricks to make your claim as little as possible.
They always approach you with the notion of lowering the settlement amount. Also, when they get to know that you have not hired an attorney to fight your case, they try to settle you for a lower claim.
So, do not wait for someone to take advantage of such a situation and get in touch with a Connecticut Car Accident Lawyer to get the compensation that you deserve for the injuries accrued.
Seek treatment
Car accidents can be severe and also painful at the same time. Ranging from cuts, bruises, bleeding, brain injuries, there are different levels of casualties caused during a car accident. Also, there are chances that you may not feel the pain and injury instantly due to the adrenaline rush and shock.
But, seek medical assistance at your earliest whatever the case and severity. Refusing medical care and delaying treatment can reduce the amount of your injury claim, so make sure that you do not deny medical assistance.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide proves to be helpful for you to gain an insight into the type of injuries accrued in car accidents and the compensation claims that can be made in such a case.
Car accidents are inevitable and if you are someone who has been a victim of a car accident, make sure that you stay all geared up to claim compensation for the losses incurred physically and financially.
