Many car accidents come with certain short-term costs for which the injured party may be due compensation. This could include emergency transportation to a local hospital, care provided in that hospital, lost wages and the immediate pain and suffering the person has to endure if they were injured in the crash.
At the same time, it is also important to consider the long-term costs of that car accident, which may far outweigh the short-term damages. Below are two examples, though every accident is unique and could come with many potential damages.
Reduced earning capacity
For one thing, when someone suffers serious injuries in an accident, they may have a significantly reduced earning capacity moving forward. Even if they can still work, their earning potential has declined, and they will make much less than they would have without the injury. In other cases, a person cannot return to work at all, and they may need to seek compensation for their lost future earnings.
Long-term care needs
Some serious injuries also come with the need for long-term medical care, in-home care, physical therapy, rehabilitation and the like. For instance, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation estimates that someone who suffers high tetraplegia, a serious type of spinal cord injury, will face over $184,000 in yearly costs. This shows why it is so important to seek compensation for ongoing costs, not just immediate damages.
Seeking the compensation you deserve
These cases can get very complex when determining exactly what type of compensation is due after a car accident, so it can help to work with an experienced personal injury attorney.