When you suffer a catastrophic injury after a car wreck, your decision-making won’t be at its peak. First of all, you will likely have pain, which affects your cognition. If you take any medication to manage pain symptoms, that will also affect how you mentally process your situation.
Thinking about your recovery or the long-term complications related to your injury can also cause stress, which affects your mental performance. All of those factors combine to make right after an accident an ideal time for someone to make a big mistake.
The person who caused the crash or the insurance company covering them could benefit from your lack of mental acuity if you don’t make a concerted effort to receive everything you deserve.
Determine the long-term financial consequences of your injury
You can’t reasonably seek compensation for an injury if you don’t know how much it will cost you. You may already have something from the repair to your vehicle or your hospital visit right after the crash. However, you may continue to incur more medical bills.
If you have a disabling injury now, you could have diminished earning potential in the future beyond just the wages you don’t make during your recovery. You may need professional help to calculate the long-term financial impact of the injuries on your life.
Know the policy information that applies to your injury
If you got hurt in a car crash, the other driver’s liability policy will cover your costs. Still, if drivers only carry the minimum amount of insurance coverage required, they might have just $25,000 each for property damage coverage and personal injury coverage.
Even if the amount of coverage they carry is higher, there could still be a gap between what costs you incur and the amount of coverage the other driver has. You may have to make a claim against your insurance or take the other driver to civil court.
Document everything from the scene of the accident to the impact it has on you
After a car crash, you can take photos and video with your mobile phone to record the property damage and injuries you suffered.
You may also need to document the long-term consequences of your injuries by keeping a diary explaining the many ways that your injuries affect your daily life and financial circumstances. The more records you have about hardship and expenses, the easier it will be for you to make a compelling case in civil court.
Pursuing an insurance claim when reasonable can help you, as can knowing the value of your claim and preparing to litigate if you can’t get the compensation you deserve in another way after a severe injury in a crash.
