Among the many types of damages that car accident victims can suffer, people often lose the ability to work. If you have been seriously injured in a collision, chances are you will have to miss some time from work for medical treatment and recovery. However, some serious injuries may prevent you from returning to work in the long term or even permanently, or they may keep you from returning to work at full capacity. This can be a major blow to your income and ability to support yourself and your family, so it is important to understand your options for obtaining financial compensation to address this loss of income.
Injuries That May Prevent a Return to Work
Many car accident injuries have lasting effects on either your physical or mental capacity, or both. Some injuries that may impact your ability to work include:
- Traumatic brain injuries: Concussions and other forms of brain trauma can affect your ability to think clearly, focus on tasks, or remember important information, and they may also hinder your speech, communication, and ability to manage your emotions.
- Spinal cord injuries: When your spinal cord is damaged in a car accident, you may become fully or partially paralyzed from the neck or waist down, which can make it impossible to perform physical labor and other common work tasks.
- Broken or lost limbs: Severe bone fractures can take years to heal, and they may permanently affect your motion. Amputated limbs may also make it more difficult to perform many physical tasks.
- Eye injuries: Head and eye injuries that cause vision impairment or blindness can prevent you from performing tasks for which you relied on sight, and you may require a significant adaptation period to perform them using your other senses.
Pursuing Compensation For Lost Income and Earning Capacity
If another driver caused the injuries that are keeping you from work, you can pursue compensation for lost wages in a personal injury lawsuit, along with recovery for your medical expenses. In order to have the best chance at full compensation, you should:
- Hire an attorney as soon as possible. Your lawyer can help you start collecting evidence from the accident, including photographs, video, witness testimony, police reports, and anything else that can demonstrate the other driver’s fault.
- Keep records of all injuries and medical treatment you have received.
- Keep records of all time you have missed from work and ask your doctor for a professional opinion on the amount of time you will miss or be unable to work at full capacity in the future.
Contact an Appleton Car Accident Lawyer Today
At [[title]], we recognize that a car accident can impact all facets of your life, and we are committed to helping our clients obtain compensation for all of the damages they have suffered. If you are missing work because of your injuries, contact a Green Bay personal injury attorney today at 920-739-7366 to schedule a free consultation.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spinal-cord-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20377890