Every year, hundreds of thousands of people suffer serious, often preventable injuries. People typically suffer serious injuries after car accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, premises liabilities and medical malpractice. These accidents can happen on the road, at businesses, in public spaces and even at home.
An accident can have a clear impact on victims. A victim may suffer injuries that require medical care. However, victims and defendants often do not understand the full impact a personal injury may have. Here is what you should know:
Victims may experience financial difficulties
After a personal injury, the victim may face several different kinds of monetary losses. For example, many victims of personal injuries experience some kind of medical bills, such as for a hospital stay, medication, surgeries, use of medical equipment or at-home care. Other kinds of financial losses can be caused by property damage, wage loss and funeral costs.
These damages can lead to financial complications, especially if it causes the victim to fall into debt. The victim may be unable to pay for their losses, which can impact their credit score, housing and employment.
Accidents can lead to serious long-term complications
Many victims suffer long-term difficulties after personal injuries. A physical injury could cause a victim to experience a disability, such as limb loss or paralysis, which can affect their way of life.
Some victims may experience depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can affect a person’s ability to do the things they enjoy. Surviving family members could also experience long-term grief and the loss of companionship.
Victims may need to be aware of the difficulties of a personal injury if they wish to pursue liable parties for damages.