Health- Related Compensation After A Car Accident

If you are injured in an accident, the negligent party should compensate you for your actual injury as well as other incidental losses such as lost wages, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and many others. It's good to understand what all these things mean so that you can better negotiate with them. For example, when it comes to health-related compensation; here are some of the components that should be included in your settlement:

Medical Bills

Medical bills are probably the most significant part of any injury settlement package. However, you can't wait for the insurance carrier to release the money before starting your treatment. You will get your treatment as usual and document the costs; the insurer settles the bills when it settles your case.

It's not just your past medical bills that the insurer should pay for; they should cater for your future medical bills. Therefore, if the case is being settled before you have fully recovered, you should receive an educated estimate of your future treatment costs. Your doctor plus an independent medical practitioner (expert witness) will testify why you need the amount you are requesting for future treatment costs.

Support Devices

Some accidents can leave you with a permanent disability that requires you to use an assistive device for the rest of your life. If that's the case, then the negligent party should also pay for these assistive devices. For example, a back injury may leave you paralyzed and unable to move without a wheelchair, which means the negligent party should also pay for your wheelchair. Another example is an injury that leaves you with a hearing impairment; in such a case, the negligent party should pay for your hearing aid.

Scarring

Even if you fully recover from your injuries, you may be left with some permanent reminder of them in the form of scars. Since a scar is a blemish that you didn't have before the accident, the defendant should pay for removing it or for making you live with it if it can't be removed. The amount of compensation for scarring depends on many things such as the size of the scar, its location, and your job.

One of the best ways to maximize your settlement is to include every single loss that you have suffered as a result of your accident. Note that you may not be able to make any other compensation demand if you realize you left something out after accepting your settlement offer. Contact a car accident attorney for additional advice. 


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