What Are the Long Term Effects of Lower Velocity Car Accidents?

Car accidents can be deeply traumatic, leaving lasting emotional and physical impacts that are difficult to anticipate or prepare for. When an accident occurs, your immediate priority should be addressing your physical health. Getting a comprehensive diagnosis and following a tailored medical treatment plan are crucial for both your recovery and for protecting your legal rights.

While some car accident injuries can have permanent repercussions, prompt medical attention can improve your prognosis and prevent complications. Even with early and appropriate treatment, however, there is a cohort of victims who continue to suffer from lingering symptoms or require long-term care for years afterward. Because the physical consequences of an accident can persist long after an injury claim has been settled, it is vital to consider future losses when seeking compensation. An experienced car accident injury lawyer will know how to account for these future damages during the claims process.

The Long-Term Physical Impact of Low Velocity Car Accidents

The severity of injuries from car accidents can vary widely. Some individuals may escape with minor bruises, while others endure life-changing injuries. Common long-term injuries include:

• Head trauma and traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Spinal cord damage
• Neck injuries and whiplash
• Disk or back injuries
• Compound fractures
• Psychiatric injuries
• Amputations
• Severe burns

Even after extensive medical treatment, these injuries can cause chronic pain and suffering, sometimes with little to no relief. Permanent impairments, such as decreased cognitive function, paralysis, scarring, or limited mobility, may alter your ability to work or engage in daily activities. The resulting financial impact can be substantial, requiring a shift to lower-paying jobs, reduced work hours, or a complete inability to work. Everyday tasks, such as household chores or playing with your children, might become impossible, and some individuals may need ongoing personal assistance or even round-the-clock care. These long-term effects translate into significant financial losses, as well as ongoing pain and suffering.

Properly estimating future medical costs, home care expenses, lost earnings, and the value of your pain and suffering requires expertise. A car accident lawyer with experience in catastrophic injury cases can help ensure all your future losses are accounted for in your claim.

The Emotional Aftermath of a Car Accident

While physical injuries are often immediately apparent, the emotional trauma that follows an accident can be just as significant. Psychological injuries can have long-lasting effects, leaving victims with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other emotional challenges. These mental health struggles can interfere with daily life and often require professional treatment.

Emotional trauma can manifest in various ways, including:

• Irrational fears and heightened anxiety
• Depression and a sense of hopelessness
• Sleep disturbances and nightmares
• Flashbacks and intrusive memories
• Anger management issues
• Sexual dysfunctions
• Panic attacks and feelings of shame

If your injuries prevent you from resuming your normal activities or career, you may experience a loss of enjoyment in life, exacerbating feelings of depression or helplessness. Therapy and counseling may be necessary, and in some cases, individuals face lifelong emotional and psychological scars. Being transparent with your car accident lawyer about these struggles is essential so they can include future emotional distress and pain and suffering in your claim.

Proving Future Damages for Long-Term Injuries

While it is relatively straightforward to prove past economic losses through medical bills, pay stubs, and receipts, demonstrating future losses is more complex. Since you won’t have documentation for future expenses, your lawyer will need to work with experts to project these costs and prove your claims.

1. Future Medical Expenses

Ongoing medical care is a reality for many severe injuries. For instance, amputees may need to replace prosthetics multiple times, while those with TBIs might require lifelong therapy. Spinal cord injuries can lead to additional complications that need constant medical attention. A medical expert can evaluate your injuries and create a detailed report on necessary future treatments and their costs, adjusted for inflation.

2. Future Lost Income

If your injuries limit your earning capacity, you should seek compensation for future lost wages. This may involve seeking disability benefits or compensation for reduced working hours or lower-paying positions. Occupational and economic experts can assess your earning potential before and after the accident, calculating the difference and considering factors such as benefits, inflation, and other financial variables.

3. Future Pain and Suffering

Quantifying pain and suffering is inherently challenging, especially when it comes to projecting future emotional and physical anguish. An experienced lawyer can use established legal standards and expert testimony to assign a value to your altered quality of life and the permanence of your injuries.

Challenges from Insurance Companies

Insurance companies often attempt to minimize compensation, particularly for future losses. While they may not dispute existing medical bills or lost wages, they may argue over projected future costs to reduce their payouts. Without proper legal representation, it’s easy to accept a settlement that falls short of your needs. An experienced car accident lawyer will understand the true value of your claim and fight to ensure you receive fair compensation.

Understanding and preparing for the long-term consequences of a car accident can be overwhelming. Having a knowledgeable lawyer on your side can help you navigate the complexities of your claim, protect your rights, and secure the financial resources you need to support your recovery and future well-being.

Car Accident Lawyer 

We know every injury is personal. Behind every car accident injury is a story of loss or a change that can be  a career put on hold; a family thrown into financial distress; dashed dreams. For more than four decades, our brain injury lawyers have worked one-on-one with clients to successfully secure millions of dollars in compensation for their injuries and other losses by going to trial when the insurer maintains an unfair, low offer. We fight to restore your family’s financial security.