Motor vehicle collisions are a leading cause of catastrophic injuries. People experience traumatic amputations and crush injuries. They injure their brains or their spinal cords. Drivers generally understand that such incidents can cause life-altering expenses.
Other injuries are also possible. People can sustain soft tissue injuries, such as whiplash. They can also easily break bones during a car crash. Those with collision-related fractures often suffer sticker shock when they finally understand the cumulative economic impact of breaking a bone during a collision.
Why do the true costs of fractures often surprise the people involved in car wrecks in St. Louis, Missouri, or Illinois?
Unexpected medical expenses
People often assume that treating a fracture is simple. They know they have to have an x-ray or other imaging tests performed. They know a doctor needs to set the bone and then apply a cast.
However, they may require more intervention than they initially expect. The intense force of a motor vehicle collision is often sufficient to cause catastrophic fractures.
If the bone breaks into many small pieces or forces itself through the skin, surgical care is likely necessary. Additionally, people may not realize that physical therapy is often required to regain lost strength and range of motion after a fracture finally heals.
Lost wages and earning potential
Broken bones can prevent people from working for weeks. Even simple fractures generally require a minimum of two months to heal, if not substantially longer.
Those working in blue-collar or service sector professions may not be able to perform key job tasks with a fracture. They may need to take an extended leave of absence from work.
In cases involving more severe fractures or people with underlying medical conditions, a fracture could cause permanent functional limitations. Workers may never be able to return to the same profession and may experience a lifetime reduction in their earning potential.
Particularly when people need surgery and must take an extended leave from work, the total costs generated by their injuries could go beyond what insurance covers. Minimum requirements in both Missouri and Illinois allow drivers to carry as little as $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage. It may then be necessary to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Keeping medical invoices and documenting other losses can make it easier for people with serious car crash injuries to seek compensation later. Legal support is often necessary when people face intensive insurance negotiations or must file lawsuits to recoup their car crash expenses.