About 2.31 million people are injured or disabled1 as a result of auto accident every year in the U.S. Car accidents may be caused by a variety of factors including driver negligence/distraction, weather conditions, and road conditions. These accidents can lead to significant physical and emotional pain for the victims. While a victim’s full recovery from injuries suffered during an accident can often be long and tiresome, some victims never fully recover.
Permanent disabilities occur whenever an injury impairs a victim from mentally or physically performing certain occupational and/or non-occupational functions for the rest of his or her life. Even though a victim may not experience ongoing physical pain, he or she may still suffer from a permanent disability that limits their abilities. Some examples of permanent disabilities include:
- Paralysis
- Loss of Hearing/Sight
- Loss of Mobility
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Loss of Cognitive Abilities
- Amputations
Since permanent disabilities last for the remainder of a victim’s life, they may significantly impact the victim’s ability to work, finances, and his or her quality of life. Recent reports show that serious injuries cause an individual over $1.4 million in lifetime economic costs.2 More often than not, permanent disabilities result in costly medical expenses from extensive care, hospitalization, and lasting treatment. For a victim seeking to recover the cost of medical expenses he or she has incurred, it is also important to recover for future losses that will occur as a result of the disability. In addition, permanent disabilities can require special devices or modifications to a victim’s home or form of transportation; this must also be considered when seeking recovery.
An individual who suffers from permanent disability may lose his or her ability to continue working in the same capacity or occupation as before the accident. This can cause an individual to be unable to return to his or her previous employment and he or she may lose a source of income altogether. This would make it nearly impossible for the victim to pay for future medical expenses and necessary adjustments. An individual may be able to recover for not only loss of wages but also for those calculated future losses.
Not all permanent disabilities are visible. Permanent disabilities can also negatively affect an individual’s mental state and cognitive functioning. Victims may require therapy and counseling in his or her recovery. A victim may experience emotional trauma which causes mental anguish and suffering as well as an inability to enjoy those same activities he or she enjoyed before. A victim should be able to not only recover for his or her physical injuries but also the emotional pain and suffering he or she has and will experience as a result.
Contact a Michigan auto accident lawyer today
If you are the victim of a car accident and are left permanently disabled as a result, you are entitled to recover for your physical and emotional losses. You always want to seek the assistance of a lawyer who understands this particular type of case involving permanent disabilities. The experienced personal injury attorneys at Michigan Injury Lawyers understand the legal issues that may arise in a permanent disability case and will always strive to ensure you recover all of the losses to which you are entitled. If you would like to discuss your situation for free, please call our office at 313-438-4357 today.
References:
1http://asirt.org/initiatives/informing-road-users/road-safety-facts/road-crash-statistics
2http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/812013.pdf