Car accidents happen all across this country all the time. You could hit another vehicle backing out of the driveway, or maybe you’ll see a collision while on the way to work. It is a bit scary to think about that. Following all traffic laws is the best thing you can do to avoid a crash.
If you do cause a car accident or another vehicle hits you, your life can change in many ways. We’ll talk about some of them right now.
You Can Get Some Money You Never Had Before
Understanding how car accident settlement agreements work isn’t the easiest thing if you’re not a lawyer or work for an insurance company. You know that you’re due some money if another vehicle hits you, and you can prove you didn’t cause the wreck. Maybe you can produce eyewitnesses if the other driver disputes your claim, or you can use traffic camera footage to back up your story.
After you go through the settlement process, you’ll get money. Maybe you’ll even get a lot of cash if the accident hurt you badly and totaled your car.
You can presumably use some of that money to fix your car, and you might use more of it to pay your medical bills. You might have to pay your attorney if you retained a car accident lawyer to help you after the crash.
After that, you may still have some money left over. You’ll have to decide what to do with it. You might use that cash for practical purposes. You can use it to pay for things like rent, utilities, and groceries, especially if the accident permanently injured you and prevented you from returning to your old job ever again.
You could also use that money for something frivolous if you’d like. Maybe you feel like you deserve something you’ve always wanted, like a boat or a fancier car than you’ve ever had before.
If you want something frivolous, consider carefully before making that move. You may wish you’d saved that money at some point down the line.
You Can Sustain A Permanent Injury
We touched on this a moment ago. If another car hits you, you might sustain a serious injury. Maybe you can come back from that with surgery, medication, and physical therapy, but perhaps you can never return to your former self.
You will need to learn how to live with your new limitations. Maybe you can’t walk anymore, and you’ll need to get a wheelchair. You might need to install a ramp to get into your house, and you’ll need to retrofit your home for your condition.
You might rely on relatives to help you, or you might even hire someone to help you get around. You’ll need to adjust to your new life, and that can take some time.
You Can Face Depression
After a car wreck, you might face depression symptoms, especially if the accident injured you. If you can’t do the things that you once could, you may feel deep depression and struggle with it.
You might have to seek therapy to get past what happened. You may feel better if you talk to a professional about how sad or frustrated you feel.
You might need medication to even out your moods. After months or even years of therapy, you may reach a point where you feel better about your bad luck.
You Might Have PTSD
Many things can cause PTSD, including car accidents. If another vehicle hits you, you might get through it without any significant physical harm, but you may not want to drive anymore. You may not even want to get into a car, even if you’re in the passenger’s seat.
You might have to seek therapy for this issue as well. You may shake every time you get near a car or every time you turn the key and start the engine.
You may need to get back behind the wheel because you need your car to get to work. If so, you have to find a way to get past this difficult time. You might also use anti-anxiety medication to get past this troublesome period.
If you can’t get past the accident, you might use public transportation from that point forward. Presumably, you’ll need to deal with your fear at some point, though. It’s very hard to get through life without ever driving anywhere or even getting into a car.
