A car accident can be traumatizing. Besides, you’re never really prepared for the physical and emotional effects it can cause.
After a car accident, recovery typically starts to happen when the crash or collision has been investigated, police reports and some relevant documents are gathered, medical attention has been sought, liability is determined, and evidence is collected.
But, the effects of most car accident injuries are usually long-lasting. It’s why compensation should take into account future suffering and expenses. In this case, enlisting the help of lawyers that specialize in personal injuries, like the team from https://grillo.ca, would come in handy to provide you the legal help you need.
Below are some of the possible long-term effects of car accidents:
1. Financial Effects
Car accidents can also have long-term effects on your finances. For most accident victims, car accidents often cause serious financial trouble. The medical bills may continue to pile up, and you’ll miss a lot of working days. This is especially true if you’ve incurred serious injuries and you might not be able to work for several months, which can result in losing wages or earning potential.
Although your injuries aren’t serious, the debt may remain with you as you deal with your medical bills. As your debt starts to pile up, you might find it hard to recover. You might be stuck in a never-ending cycle of debts. Years after your accident, you’ll still feel its financial effect.
However, if you work with the right lawyer, you can take legal action, and you might be able to get compensation for your injuries. This can be done through a personal injury lawsuit or your insurance company.
2. Neurological Effects
During car accidents, it’s common for victims to sustain head injuries. Mild fender benders may jerk somebody enough to make their head bang against the car’s headrest. This minor bump can affect one’s brain since cars travel at high speeds, and the brain can be susceptible to damage. This impact may likely lead to nerve damage.
Nerve damage may manifest in some ways, and blindness is one of the common effects. Specifically, sudden blindness may result in several challenges in the victim’s life. Thankfully, several websites can guide those who suffer from blindness and some health-related concerns due to a car accident in moving forward with their lives and for them to find peace in their current situations.
Aside from blindness, nerve damage can also cause traumatic brain injury. A mild form of this head injury is known as concussion, which can take several weeks of rest to recover. But, this way a more serious blow to the head may result in life-altering brain damage and bleeding.
In fact, people who suffer from traumatic brain injury might not be able to work again and require 24/7 medical care to assist with daily hygiene, feeding, and some important activities. This long-term effect of a car accident doesn’t only affect the victims but also their families.
3. Emotional Effects
More often than not, high stress levels are found in people after getting involved in car accidents. The same holds true even after a minor crash. As one of the car accident victims, it’s crucial to pay attention to your traumatic experience. You must get help from mental health professionals after noticing any signs of emotional distress. Once you leave your emotional problems to linger, your relationships and career might be disrupted.
Some of the long-term emotional effects of car accidents include the following:
- Depression – It’s a common emotional effect of car accidents. Signs of depression may include loss of interest in various activities and overwhelming sadness. If the symptoms go on for a few weeks, consult your doctor immediately and get treated.
- Anxiety – People who experience car accidents often suffer from anxiety disorders. Panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety, and phobia are psychiatric disorders that fall into this category. Anxiety can lead to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
4. Physical Effects
Your body may never be the same once you get involved in a serious car accident. For most car accident victims, some problems may arise, ranging from changes in mobility to some injuries. However, some of them may impact one’s life for a lifetime.
Below are some of the long-term physical effects of a car crash:
- Burns – Some car parts generate lots of heat as they operate. A serious car crash may also result in explosions or fires.
Passengers and drivers who are exposed to such threats may result in serious burns. Aside from being painful, victims who suffer from serious burns are also at risk of infection and may require extensive skin grafts to recover. Often, burns lead to scarring and more months of physical rehabilitation.
- Fractures – Car accidents can break your bones or cause bone fractures. There are various causes of a bone fracture. These may include getting crushed during the accident, having the bones twisted or bent unnaturally, being thrown from the vehicle, or external objects hitting your body.
Bones that are susceptible to fractures during car accidents include the vertebrae in the spine, bones in the skull, neck bone, and ribs. Typically, surgery or cast is needed to heal the fractures. However, it’s said that no treatments can heal the bones, which can leave the victims with impairment for a lifetime.
- Whiplash – It’s a neck injury that results from forceful back-and-forth neck movement. Usually, a rear-end car accident causes this injury.
The long-term effects of whiplash may include dizziness and constant ringing in the ears. Victims may also experience chronic shoulder pain and stiffness.
- Soft Tissue Injuries – These are some of the most common car-related injuries that may take several months to heal.
Soft tissue injuries often include a tendon tear or a sprain. The recovery time may vary depending on the victim’s health and age.
- Traumatic Amputations – Car accidents are the primary cause of traumatic amputations or loss of a limb. A car crash can damage a victim’s fingers, hands, feet, toes, or even the entire limb, in which reconstruction isn’t an option. The doctor may require surgical amputation to prevent further damage or save the victim’s life.
Conclusion
The long-term effects of car accidents may alter one’s life. This is why before you entertain any settlement negotiation, you must seek legal representation to uncover the real extent of the damage. If the car crash injuries prohibit you from doing your daily activities at work or home, experienced lawyers will help mitigate the long-term ramifications of the accident by securing the right compensation you deserve.
