In a split second, your life can change. A fall in the local grocery store, a collision on your way to work, or an accident on the job — personal injuries happen when you least expect them. While initial thoughts may focus on immediate expenses and recovery, there are other hidden costs of personal injury that might follow you after you’ve left the hospital. Emotional, psychological, and financial costs can be just as damaging. Safeguard yourself and hire a personal injury attorney at Henningsen Injury Attorneys P.C. With an advocate on your side, you can pursue your expenses following an injury.
However, uncovering these expenses and costs is essential for understanding the far-reaching effects of your injury, the majority of which cannot be seen in the hospital.
The Visible and Invisible Costs of Personal Injuries
Visible costs are top of mind when an injury is sustained. Medical costs accumulate as treatment, surgeries, and rehabilitation begin. If job loss is a result of the injuries, you will lose income and be buried in additional expenses. The challenge is, that while these costs accumulate, others that are more difficult to measure begin as a consequence of the injury.
Visible Costs:
- Medical Costs: Emergency room treatments and extended periods of rehabilitation and therapy.
- Lost Wages: Long-term incapacity to work and need to cover expenses for an extended period of time.
Invisible Costs:
- Long-term Medical Costs: Some injuries require impacts on an extended basis (physical therapy, surgeries, pain management for chronic conditions).
- Unseen Scars: The psychological impact of an injury is high and can affect your mental health, relationships, and overall feeling of rupture.
- Social Costs: Alongside an injury come lifestyle changes such as missing events, reduced mobility, difficulty getting simple things done, friendships, and relationships that can be compromised.
Financial Strain Beyond Immediate Expenses
After a personal injury, monetary worries are often first in your mind. Medical bills, lost wages, and costs of rehabilitation can take a heavy toll. Unfortunately, the financial effects of a personal injury can extend beyond merely short term bills.
Insurance Settlements:
An insurance company may give you a settlement deal right at the start. This way you can close the investigation on this matter and move on. While in the short term this money may seem like everything, the reality is that you are often entitled to more. The insurance company’s main goal is to save themselves money, so they may minimize your needs.
- Future Medical Needs:| You may need treatment, surgery, or medication long after you physically recover.
- Loss of Future Income: Some injuries may prevent you from returning to work in your previous capacity, or even at all. The loss of future income can be a drain for years to come.
With an attorney, you can make sure that all of your financial losses are taken into account. Your lawyer will fight for a settlement that covers your future healthcare needs, lost income, and other long-term impacts.
Emotional and Psychological Toll
Personal injuries often have more than just physical pain. The emotional and mental suffering can be just as bad if not worse. 25% of individuals after injury meet the criteria for clinically significant psychological distress, and this suffering can last for months and even years. Additionally, anxiety and depression are four times as prevalent in those who have been in an accident.
The Mental Health Impact:
- Post-Traumatic Stress: Personal injuries can give you PTSD after, and this condition can disrupt your daily life in many ways.
- Anxiety and Depression: Personal injuries can take a toll on your mental health quickly, as uncertainty about your health and the practical issues you may face coping with things now being harder cause stress to rack up.
Hiring a personal injury attorney can ensure that the emotional bills, as well as the medical bills, are included in your case. They can provide referrals to clinical professionals to track the psychological effects of your injuries to help reach an agreement for the suffering and pain caused to you and your family.
Why Hire a Henningsen Injury Attorneys P.C. Personal Injury Lawyer to Protect Your Future
The repercussions of a personal injury can potentially extend to other aspects of your life, including your health, finances, and mental state. To secure a favorable future, seek the help of a personal injury lawyer’s service to navigate your needs and protect your right to compensation both now and in the future.
Expert Legal Knowledge:
An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to calculate both your immediate and your lifetime costs following a personal injury, from medical treatments and missed time at work to general damages (pain and suffering).
Negotiating with Insurance Companies:
Commonly, insurance companies believe they can get you to accept a low offer and dismiss coverage of the full extent of your injury. An attorney can do the bargaining in your place, making sure you can be covered for every monetary or emotional amount of injury received.
Taking the First Step Toward Recovery
Never confront a personal injury by yourself. Contact a personal injury lawyer now to preserve your rights and to make sure that you are compensated in full.