A car accident can cause serious injuries such as burn injuries or other painful conditions. While these injuries can cause severe pain and also upheaval in your personal life, most injuries will also place tremendous pressure on your finances. Unless you are independently wealthy or have substantial assets, you may worry about the costs of your medical treatment. If you have sustained a spinal cord injury or other permanent injury, you may worry about not being able to return to work. In addition, you may have to spend a great deal of money to renovate your home in order to make it accessible for you.
In many cases, insurance is designed to help you deal with the financial pressures of a car accident. Drivers are required to have a minimal amount of insurance and many drivers choose additional coverage as well, paying premiums faithfully. When a driver is injured, therefore, they assume that everything is taken care of and the insurance company that has been so handsomely paid will offer compensation for lost income and all medical costs.
Unfortunately, this does not often happen. Insurance companies generally have a formula for determining claim amounts, and in many cases this formula results in offers that will not pay for all the costs of your accident. If you have sustained a serious or permanent injury, in particular, the amount your insurance company offers will generally only pay for initial treatment and lost income. Quite simple, insurance companies are businesses and if they paid out the full claim amounts everyone is entitled to and covered all costs for all patients, they would make much smaller profits.
The financial pressures of serious personal injury as well as the financial pressures insurance companies face to offer you small insurance amounts is a great reason why you should call a Florida personal injury attorney immediately after your car accident. A good attorney can negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf, can accurately calculate how much your injury will cost you, and can aggressively pursue the full amount you are entitled to.
Even if you are able to secure a settlement, however, keep in mind that the period from your car accident to your actual payment can be long. Insurance companies will often resist attempts to pay out larger amounts and your case may go to court. Personal injury cases sometimes take years to work their way through the court system. During this time, you will still have to make payments on your home, car, and other financial obligations.
It can be challenging to wait. Some patients are able to work out repayment plans with hospitals and medical facilities. In some cases, hospitals are willing to wait for payment if they know a patient will likely receive a settlement. Some patients borrow money in order to survive financially until a settlement is reached in their case. Whatever your financial situation, getting a fair settlement for your case can improve your financial outlook after a car accident, and that means hiring a qualified attorney. As well, discussing your financial pressures with your attorney and developing a financial plan can help you survive financially until your case is settled.