No one plans on being involved in a car accident when they start out their day. Unfortunately, many people aren't lucky enough to be correct in this assumption. In fact, there are about six million vehicular accidents every single year in America, and the average driver will need to file an auto insurance claim once every 17.9 years. These accidents can cause difficulties in just about every area of a person's life, but luckily, there are a few ways in which an individual can recover and move forward after these incidents.
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1. Employment Issues
One of the first things that a person should consider after being involved in a car accident is their employment status. It's essential to contact one's employer as soon as possible to ensure avoidance of the dreaded "no call, no show" termination notice. Luckily, most managers will completely understand the seriousness of the situation.
In addition, it may be prudent for a person to check on their long-term disability insurance if they have any. This, of course, is only the case if an injury is serious enough to keep a person out of work for an extended period of time. If the injury is this serious, however, this insurance policy can go a long way in helping out.
2. Physical Recovery
One of the most difficult things that a person faces after a serious car crash is their physical recovery. The main focus a person should have is fully following their physician's orders. Medical professionals are skilled at helping victims along in their recovery, but if that victim doesn't go by a doctor's prescribed treatment, their recuperation could be hindered or even halted.
3. Financial Recovery
In minor vehicular crashes where no injuries are sustained, a person can likely get compensation from their own or a negligent driver's insurance company quite easily. If the accident was serious, however, it's essential for an accident victim to hire a local car accident lawyer. Whether it is a Chicago or Miami car accident law firm, these professionals can help a person recover monetary compensation for lost wages, medical bills, property damage and even pain and suffering.
These legal professionals are relatively easy to find. Miami, FL, for instance, has actually been named the city with the country's worst drivers. This means that if a person is involved in a car accident in the city, a local attorney will likely have plenty of experience handling that type of case. These legal professionals can likely get a good settlement much faster than a victim can on their own; this is because insurers are more likely to make fair settlement offers if they know there's a legal professional involved.
4. Emotional Issues
Unfortunately, serious crashes can also lead to certain emotional issues. Some individuals have even been known to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being involved in such a wreck. In these instances, it's imperative to seek out a professional counselor. While it's true that this can sometimes be expensive, the attorney that an accident victim hires can actually recover these costs from a negligent driver as well.
5. Getting Back to Life
All of the aforementioned tips lead to the final step that a person should strive for after being involved in an accident: resuming their life. It's essential to stay in touch with friends and family after sustaining a serious injury, and luckily, social media makes this quite easy. Once an accident victim is able to get back out into the world, however, that's exactly what they need to do. It can be easy to get used to laying on the couch watching television, but this can only lead to procrastination and potentially depression.
It is often a difficult road back to normalcy after a serious car accident, but it's a road that's well worth it in the end. It's essential to not sit back and simply accept the hardships that come along with a traffic collision. Taking proactive steps can expedite recovery in every area of a person's life. The quicker a person can recover in these areas; the quicker they'll be able to get back to "life as usual."
Lisa Coleman shares tips on ways a person can move forward after a serious auto wreck. She was recently viewing different Miami car accident groups online, and came up with the idea for this article.