If you’re in a car accident in Oakland Park—or any South Florida community, for that matter—your immediate concern may be your health. And you probably can predict that you will face some costs. You may know you may need to visit the doctor and get your car repaired, for example. However, many residents of the Oakland Park area underestimate the many expenses of a car collision in South Florida.
It’s important to keep costs in mind when you’ve been in a car collision. After all, when you submit a claim to your insurance company, you need to know how much you can expect to pay for your injuries and damages so you can be sure your insurance company pays you a fair amount. At Flaxman Law Group, we often work with traffic collision survivors who underestimate the following financial costs:
- Emergency medical costs: If you need to visit the emergency room, you may need to cover emergency care, medication, and other costs. These can be very high costs, even if you have insurance and only need to pay the co-pay.
- Ongoing medical costs: One of the largest costs after a car crash tends to be ongoing care. Follow-up care, visits with specialists, rehabilitation, ongoing treatment, medication, and other costs can add up.
- Loss of income: You may have to miss days or weeks of work, which means losing out on income. Even after you recover, you may need to see doctors and specialists for follow-up care. Missing work can affect your position at work and can even impact your ability to progress in your career or get promotions, which can further affect your earnings.
- Property damage: If you have anything of value in your car—such as a camera, cell phone, jewelry, a laptop—you may need to replace or repair these items.
- Car repairs or replacement: Repairing or replacing your car can be expensive. If you have a lease or any kind of financing, you may need to not only replace your car but also pay your lender the outstanding money owing.
- Temporary transportation: While your car is in the shop, you may need a rental. If you’re seriously injured, you may need to rely on taxis or even specialized transportation which can accommodate your injuries.
- Injury accommodation: While you are recovering, you may need to spend money to accommodate your injury. For example, if you need to use a wheelchair you may need a ramp to get into your home or may need to wider doorways. If your injuries are permanent, you may need to renovate your home and adjust your car to accommodate your injuries.
- Future costs: Permanent injuries will mean added costs over your entire lifetime, and the expense can be staggering. A serious brain or spinal cost injury can require over one hundred thousand dollars in medical costs in the first year and potentially millions of dollars over a lifetime. Even a relatively minor injury, such as a knocked-out tooth, can require tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime to get bridges or dental implants updated and replaced at times. And don’t forget that future medical costs will be higher, thanks to inflation.
- Personal assistance: If you are seriously injured, you may need to hire someone to do your grocery shopping, take care of your children, clean your home, and take care of other tasks you cannot complete because of your injury.
- Therapy and counseling: Being in a car crash is unsettling and can lead to depression, trauma, and even relationship problems. Seeing a specialist to protect your mental health may be necessary, but therapy costs can add up.
The pain and suffering you experience after a car crash in Oakland Park truly has no price tag. Yet, you will face some very real expenses after your ordeal. Before you accept any compensation or any offer from your insurance company, contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free accident consultation with a car collision attorney in South Florida. Our legal team can help determine how much your potential claim can be worth.