If you’ve been injured due to another’s conduct, and if you’re thinking of seeking compensation, it’s important to start by considering exactly what kinds of costs you’re going to face. One potential problem that people run into is that they may be tempted to accept a settlement offer that doesn’t cover all of their costs. You certainly don’t want to make any legal agreement without being sure that it is going to result fair and just compensation.
By carefully considering your current and future expenses related to your injury, you’ll be in a more informed position to seek proper compensation from the party or parties that is/are responsible for the harm you’ve suffered.
Your medical bills
Naturally, your compensation concerns are going to start with your medical bills. Even just taking an ambulance ride to the hospital could leave you thousands of dollars in debt. The average cost of an ambulance ride in the United States is over $1,200 and only going up. Medical debt is well-known as one of the leading causes of bankruptcy. In other words, medical bills can be prohibitively expensive, and this is the first thing to consider. Both short-term and long-term costs must factor into your calculus.
Lost wages
A serious injury can also cause you to miss time at work. Many people are hourly workers, and not everyone has enough time off to cover the recovery time that they need. Losing wages can be highly detrimental to your budget and quality of life. For those who need months or years to recover, lost wages are incredibly consequential.
Lost future earning capacity
Similarly, you’ll want to consider your lost earning capacity. For instance, someone who suffers a disabling head injury may not be able to continue their career or take a job that they wanted. Maybe you did manual labor, but an amputation injury means you can never do so again. Your lost earning potential can result in negative ramifications that extend far beyond immediate lost wages.
What should you do?
Seeking accurate and just compensation is going to be important for you and your family. You need to know exactly how your injury will impact your life and what you deserve. Seeking legal guidance can help to provide you with this kind of clarity.
