Taking time off work after a car accident is a personal decision. It’s up to you and your doctor to decide when you’re ready to go back to work. Sometimes, taking time off is unavoidable when you sustain severe injuries in a crash that prevent you from working—even if you want to return.
Being forced to take time off work isn’t as fun as it might sound—particularly when your work doesn’t offer sick leave or paid time off. Without these benefits, your bills can pile up, causing undue stress. Luckily, auto insurance settlements can ease these worries. Lost income is one of the damages a car accident lawyer can seek for you after a car accident.
You Can Receive Compensation for Time Missed From Work
It’s common for car accident victims to ignore their recovery so they can get back to work. The National Safety Council reports that the average car accident with evident injuries costs $29,200. Moreover, handling these expenses while you cannot work can cause undue stress.
However, remember that you can recover lost wages in an insurance claim or injury lawsuit. A settlement can also reimburse you for these accident expenses:
- Medical expenses: A car accident settlement can address emergency department care, surgery, medication, and rehabilitative therapy, meaning you don’t need to pay out of pocket.
- Property damages: Replacing a car isn’t cheap, particularly amidst rising inflation and limited supplies of new vehicles. However, liability insurance can cover some or all of your property damages after an accident.
- Pain and suffering: Car accidents also exact an emotional toll. These damages are categorized as pain and suffering and include mental anguish and trauma.
- Wrongful death: Unfortunately, some car accidents result in fatal injuries. In these cases, you can pursue funeral expenses, pain and suffering, and the loss of a close personal relationship with a spouse, parent, child, or other loved ones.
A settlement can reduce the financial and emotional strain of your car accident. For example, it could pay for relevant damages and compensate you for the time that you missed from work.
Pursuing a Settlement for Your Car Crash Injuries
You would typically seek a settlement in one of two ways after a car crash:
- A personal injury lawsuit
- An insurance claim
Georgia law requires that drivers carry liability insurance. Most drivers (excluding those who disregard the law) purchase this insurance and can use it to compensate the victims of their negligent driving. These policies also ensure that insurance claims are far more common than lawsuits after car accidents.
However, procuring an insurance settlement isn’t always easy. This process entails negotiations with insurance adjusters, which often turn sour. For example, insurers may try to strongarm you into an unfair settlement. Thus, dealing with insurers can suck up your precious recovery time by:
- Taking advantage of your compromised position with a lowball settlement offer
- Encouraging you to admit fault
- Using your recorded statements against you
For a free legal consultation, call (404) 888-8888
Seeking Legal Support After a Car Accident
Hiring a car accident attorney from our firm could advance your pursuit of compensation, allowing you to rest and recover. For example, our team can:
- Investigate the collision
- Prove another party behaved negligently and caused your injuries
- Negotiate with insurers and other relevant parties
- File a lawsuit if needed
- Provide legal advice
- Answer questions
Hiring a Lawyer Is Easier Than You Might Think
Taking time off work while trying to recover from a car accident isn’t a pleasant position to face. Moreover, financial stress can make victims assume it’s not worth the hassle to hire a lawyer. However, our car accident lawyers work on contingency, meaning:
- We don’t charge anything upfront
- You don’t pay us unless you recover compensation
Manage Your Injuries First After a Car Accident
Car accidents can cause a range of severe injuries, some of which don’t have obvious symptoms at first. So, you should see a doctor after you’ve collected contact information and properly documented the events of your accident.
Meeting with a doctor can provide you insight into the status of your health after an accident. In addition, they’ll provide a prognosis for your injuries and estimate how long you’ll be unable to work. Finally, a physician can give you a note of absence that you can use to show the extent of your injuries to your employer.
Take Your Recovery Seriously
While choosing to return to work is a personal choice, taking your doctor’s orders seriously is critical. These could include attending physical rehab, taking extended time off work, and other measures they recommend. In addition, failing to adhere to a doctor-ordered recovery plan can signal to insurers that you’re “fine,” which could affect your settlement.
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Contact a Car Accident Lawyer Today
You deserve time off work while you recover and fair compensation for your accident-related damages. The team at Bader Scott Injury Lawyers helps our clients fight for fair settlements. Contact our offices today to get started.
Call or text (404) 888-8888 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
