Injured in a Car Accident: 5 Ways Car Accident Injuries May Affect Your Family’s Life by 30Seconds Mom
It’s easy to assume that car accident injuries only directly affect the person or people involved. After all, a broken leg is only painful for the person whose leg is broken. However, that’s actually not always the case. Families can be significantly affected when their loved one is seriously injured in a car accident.
Often, families face some of the following challenges:
1. Reduced or No Income
Many accident victims meet with experienced personal injury attorneys like those at Blumenshine Law Group when an accident caused by someone else makes them unable to work. With no work, they may have no income for their families to live on. Experienced personal injury attorneys can assist clients in including lost wages as part of an injury claim following an accident.
Having reduced or no income can have a devastating impact on families. Some find it hard to cover their mortgage or rent and are at risk of being homeless, like more than half a million other Americans. Whether income challenges are temporary or permanent, they can be life-changing.
2. Daily Activity Restrictions
Car accidents may result in life-changing injuries that stop you from being able to live life to the fullest. You might struggle to take care of your kids, enjoy quality time with them or even partake in everyday household chores. For families where these duties are shared, having one person out of action can mean the other faces increased stress. It might even result in burnout.
3. No Transportation
Most households only have one car. When yours is damaged in an accident, it can be highly inconvenient. The working member of the family might be unable to get to their job and families can find it much harder to access child care and schooling.
Public transport can be an OK interim measure, but not everyone can access convenient public transport. It can also sometimes take several weeks or months for insurance companies to pay out for a new vehicle.
4. Mental Health Challenges
Many people associate post-traumatic stress disorder with war veterans. The reality is that this mental health condition can affect anyone who has gone through a traumatic event – car accidents included. In fact, up to 58.3 percent of car accident victims are believed to experience PTSD.
The symptoms associated with PTSD can affect an entire family, not just the car accident victim. Agitation, irritability, self-destructive behavior and insomnia are just a few of the many associated with PTSD. These symptoms can be challenging for families to handle.
5. A Damaged Credit Score
If you don’t seek help from a personal injury lawyer in your battle to secure compensation for your accident, paying accident-related costs may be a challenge. Miss payments or make late payments, and you risk damaging your credit score.
A low credit score can often make it much more challenging to secure loans in the future, including home loans. Some people also find it difficult to find new rental properties. If an employer checks credit scores as part of their pre-employment screening, your employment opportunities might also be restricted.
The effects of a car accident can be beyond the initial injuries and vehicle damage. It can have a flow-on impact on families, their mental health, everyday lives and finances. Receiving adequate compensation from those responsible, often with the help of a law firm, can sometimes keep the effects to a minimum.
Note: The content on 30Seconds.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. The information on this site should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your personal healthcare provider. The opinions or views expressed on 30Seconds.com do not necessarily represent those of 30Seconds or any of its employees, corporate partners or affiliates.
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