Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
If you have sustained injuries in a truck accident in Coral Gables or any Florida community, you will likely file an insurance claim and will get an offer from your insurance company. When evaluating any offer you receive, it is important to consider your total costs. In many cases, insurance carriers want to settle claims as inexpensively and quickly as possible. Once you accept the insurance money, however, you may have a hard time getting further compensation if you realize that your injuries cost more than you realize. Many people who sustain injuries in a truck accident or car accident in Coral Gables or another community do not realize the high costs associated with these types of injuries. These costs can include:
1) Emergency medical care. When traffic accidents in Coral Gables involve a large commercial truck, the results can be devastating. The large size of the truck can create immense damage in a traffic accident and usually results in serious injury and trips to the emergency room. Emergency medical care may be partly covered by your medical insurance.
2) Medical tests. Tests are usually required to evaluate a condition. In some cases, these tests can be quite expensive. MRI tests and medical imaging tests to check for a head injury or soft tissue injury, for example, can cost hundreds of dollars or even over a thousand dollars.
3) Medical devices. You may need neck braces, crutches, and other medical devices as you recover from your injury.
4) Long-term medical care and rehabilitation. Patients who sustain serious injuries, such as spinal cord injuries or head injuries in Coral Gables and other communities, may take months or years to recover from their injuries and often require rehabilitation as well as long-term care to recover. The costs of long-term care for a serious injury can be very high and in some cases can amount to over a hundred thousand dollars per year or more.
5) “Optional” medical care and treatment. Some insurance carriers classify some treatment as “optional” or even “cosmetic” even when this type of treatment is needed to help you return to your normal tasks. For example, if you have lost some of your teeth in an accident or have suffered burn injuries in a Coral Gables traffic accident, you may need dentures or skin grafts to repair the injuries. Some insurance companies will argue that these treatments are not necessary, however.
6) Medication. After sustaining a serious injury in a traffic accident, you may need medication. For example, you may need to take pain medication or your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if you suffer complications during your recovery.
7) Transportation to and from doctors and specialists. If your car has been damaged, you may need to repair the vehicle or have it replaced. You may not even be physically able to drive while you recover. This may mean you need to pay for taxis or rental cars to visit doctors and other professionals who are helping you as you recover.
8) Lost wages. After a serious accident, you may not be able to return to work for months – or even longer. You will need to replace your wages so that you can pay your bills.
9) Counseling. The trauma of a traffic accident may result in serious distress and may you need counseling or other forms of care to help deal with the trauma.
10) Costs associated with making your home or car accessible. If you have been seriously injured, you may need to make changes to your car or home. For example, you may need to install a wheelchair ramp at home or have your car altered so that you can use the car even with your wheelchair. These costs can be quite high.
11) Long-term loss of wages and benefits. If you are permanently injured, you may not be able to return to your regular work. You may need to take on lower-paying work and may lose some of the benefits of higher-paying jobs.
It is important to ensure that you are compensated for as many injury-related costs as possible, since anything not covered by compensation will be paid from your own income and savings. You can always contact the Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation to discuss your options and the likely total costs of your injuries.