A car accident is a life-changing experience due to the devastating effects on the victims. There are physical, emotional and financial effects one has to deal with after an accident.
The physical and financial effects of a car accident may be noticeable but the emotional effects are unseen by the human eye and are ones with the most profound effects.
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Physical Injuries
These are the most immediate and noticeable injuries. While some of the injuries will heal with time, some remain permanent causing physical disabilities. This means the victim has to adjust to in order to move around or even do what they used to.
Some of the injuries include tears to the tendons and ligaments which account for the soft tissue injuries. This type of injuries will take weeks to months to heal. Although this period will vary from one victim to another due to various factors such as the patient’s health and age.
Whiplash is another common injury to accident victims. However, many brush this off as a minor injury while this isn’t the case.
If you’re involved in a car accident, it’s crucial to seek medical attention to ascertain the level of damage if any. Certain injuries may be unnoticeable such as internal bleeding.
Brain injuries are also common and if not detected early enough, the injuries may lead to extensive damage such as:
- Loss of sensation.
- Complete or partial paralysis
- Memory loss
- Behavioral changes
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Psychological and Emotional Injuries
Such injuries aren’t visible by the human eye and they are the worst to deal with. In fact, a victim may not have suffered extensive physical injuries, but the mere fact that they were involved in an accident can be psychologically and emotionally devastating.
The effects of these injuries manifest after a while and if not detected early enough, they may lead to severe effects. Some of the common emotional injuries accident victims face include:
- Anxiety
- Appetite loss
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Fear
Psychological injuries can also disorient the victim. The most common is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Others include stress-induced chronic pain and pathophysiological effects which affect the nervous system and the brain.
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Financial Hardship
Apart from the injuries incurred during an accident, victims also have to deal with the financial burden that follows. This includes paying for auto repair and medical bills. This can be especially difficult if the victim doesn’t have collision/comprehensive coverage for the vehicle.
If you were the reason for the accident, these bills may be a huge burden to you. Some people end up taking loans to cover the bills and this can damage your finances.
On top of that, you’ll lose your mode of transportation if your car was totaled in the accident. As a result, you’ll have to factor in additional transportation costs in your budget either to hire a rental car, use a taxi or use other means.
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Increased Insurance Rates
As soon as your insurance company gets wind of the accident, they’ll increase their premiums. This is regardless of whether you were the cause of the accident. This increase may be huge and it also doesn’t matter if it’s your first accident.
In addition, the increase is bound to stress your financial situation since the increase will be in effect as long as the accident remains in your records.
These are some of the many effects on victims of car accidents. However, there’s good news. You can always file for compensation on any of these effects. Nevertheless, you must act as fast as possible through a qualified car accident attorney. This will make sure you get the best deal from insurance companies.
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