Most people expect to receive insurance compensation after a crash. Especially when it is clear that the other driver was at fault, they expect to file a straightforward insurance claim to pay for vehicle repair expenses, medical costs and other losses, such as wages they couldn’t earn while recovering.
Unfortunately, sometimes the injuries caused by a wreck are relatively severe. They can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses and may cause long-term changes in an individual’s earning potential.
Given that the state only requires $25,000 in bodily injury coverage for one person’s injuries and $50,000 in liability coverage for crashes that injure two or more people, many people with catastrophic injuries have considered taking legal action to recoup their losses. The three injuries below are all likely to generate expenses beyond the available insurance coverage.
1. Traumatic brain injuries
There are several ways that a car crash can cause traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Individuals who hurt their brains in a car crash may need immediate trauma care after the crash.
Sometimes, medical professionals put them in a medication-induced coma. They may require surgery and extensive rehabilitative support. They may also experience a significant reduction in earning potential. Some people may never return to work after sustaining a TBI.
2. Spinal cord injuries
Spinal cord injuries can be drastically different from one case to the next. Some spinal cord injuries are incomplete and may only cause some motor function impairment. Others are complete. Complete spinal cord injuries cause paralysis and a permanent loss of sensation below the injury site.
Not only do spinal cord injuries often generate massive expenses immediately after a crash, but they can also drastically increase lifetime medical care costs. Particularly in cases involving tetraplegia or blue-collar workers, a spinal cord injury can also end or alter a professional’s career.
3. Limb loss
Some people experience traumatic amputations during a crash. The force of the collision results in immediate limb loss, along with all the medical complications that follow.
Other people may suffer major fractures or crush injuries. Health care professionals may determine that a surgical amputation is the only option in extreme injury scenarios. Limb loss often generates major medical expenses and can have significant implications for a professional’s long-term earning potential.
Individuals adjusting to life with catastrophic injuries after a car crash may need to explore personal injury litigation as a way of recovering their financial losses. Holding the driver at fault for the crash financially accountable may limit the long-term financial consequences of major collision injuries.