Car crashes are some of the most expensive experiences that people can endure. In just a few seconds, an incident can result in potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal losses.
People may rely either on insurance or on the resources of the party at fault for the crash to recover their losses. Those attempting to effectively negotiate an insurance claim after a car crash or to pursue a personal injury lawsuit following a wreck in Georgia need to have an accurate sense of how much this scenario will – in the short-term and the long-term – cost them.
Medical care costs
If someone gets hurt during the crash, they will need to undergo medical treatments to regain full functionality after a wreck. The more serious an injury is, the more it will likely cost someone to get back to their full functional ability. Sometimes, car crashes will cause injuries that require hospitalization, surgery and extensive physical therapy. People may have expenses that linger for years or even decades after the initial coalition.
Lost wages and lost earning potential
Someone in need of short-term medical support after a crash will likely lose all of their income until they get out of the hospital. Others may find that the lingering symptoms of their injuries prevent them from continuing their previously successful profession. Blue-collar workers with physical injuries and white-collar workers with brain injuries could suffer massive work-related setbacks that prevent them from continuing to earn what they previously had. They may also lose out on valuable benefits that may have added as much as 30% to their overall earning potential. It is very easy to overlook those long-term losses and to focus too much on short-term lost wages.
Property damage costs
The damage to someone’s vehicle can add up to tens of thousands of dollars. Especially in a scenario where the vehicle is no longer safe to drive, a crash could very well mean that they have to purchase a vehicle with a comparable value to the one involved in the crash. If the vehicle is fixable, drivers need to consider not just the immediate repair cost but also the future diminished resale value of the vehicle. Additionally, there could be other secondary property damage losses to consider, including damage to mobile phones and other electronics that people have in the vehicle with them.
Many people struggling with the consequences of a motor vehicle collision need help quantifying what the situation has cost them and may also need help handling insurance matters or moving forward with a personal injury lawsuit. Seeking experienced legal guidance is always an option in this regard.
