Some car crash expenses are direct. A collision in Illinois or the St. Louis area may cause injuries, which produce medical expenses. The crash also damages the vehicles involved, leading to expenses related to repairing damaged vehicles or acquiring a replacement vehicle.
Injuries from car crashes can also create indirect expenses by affecting an individual’s daily life. Sometimes, car crashes can affect the budget for the household by negatively impacting income. What are the most common ways that car crashes reduce household income?
1. Wages not earned during recovery
People with spinal cord injuries or brain injuries could spend weeks in the hospital recovering. Even those with broken bones may not be able to return to work for eight weeks or longer until they heal.
The loss of weeks of wages can leave people under significant financial strain, as they lose critical income at the same time that they accrue major expenses. Those who must take time away from work to recover may be able to request their lost wages.
2. Lost opportunities due to missed work
Absences don’t just negatively affect income. They also have a chilling effect on future earning potential.
Researchers have found that even when employers know that workers have missed work due to illness or injury, their absences can still have a negative impact on future advancement opportunities. Especially in cases where professionals take time off to care for their spouses or injured children, their future earning potential could be lower because of their repeated or extended absences from work.
3. Reduced functional capabilities
Not all car crash injuries lead to full medical recoveries. People frequently have lingering symptoms that diminish their functional capabilities. In some cases, they may not be able to return to the same careers. Other times, they can resume their jobs, but they may not be able to continue advancing their careers due to their functional limitations.
People injured by car crashes or serving as caregivers for family members in Illinois or the St. Louis, Missouri area may need help quantifying their lost income and lost earning potential. Requesting appropriate compensation can ensure that the right party pays for the financial impact of car crash injuries.