Every fatal or serious collision does indeed have a human cost — a real person, not a statistic or a number.
Each victim has family and friends who are devastated by their tragic death or incapacitating injury.
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, Long Beach alone has reported 3,113 traffic fatalities and injuries. In comparison to other California cities with comparable populations, Long Beach ranks fifth in terms of traffic-related fatalities and injuries.
Medical expenses, lost wages due to missed time at work, and related expenses such as the cost of renting a vehicle while yours is being repaired are all possible damages. Long Beach accident victims may also seek compensation for their pain and suffering, as well as, in some cases, loss of affection or companionship with their romantic partners.
Even minor accidents can lead to considerable financial drain, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Following a car accident, you may be exposed to a variety of damages.
Here are a few of them.
How Are Damages Determined?
Because each case is unique, determining how much those damages may be or what type of compensation is available to you may be difficult.
Your car accident lawyer will be able to examine the facts of your case and determine whether you are eligible for any type of compensation.
Common Injuries In Accidents
Damage is unavoidable when a heavy vehicle traveling at highway speeds collides with another object. Despite advancements in automobile safety over the last few decades, severe injuries are still common in car accidents.
Below are some of the most common injuries caused because of car accidents:
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Medical Injuries
- Back injuries: Back injuries can cause extreme pain or even paralysis. You could also have disc herniations or ruptures to your spine, which can be excruciatingly painful.
- Head injuries: Head injuries are among the most serious auto accident injuries, ranging from mild concussions that cause weeks or months of severe headaches to permanent brain damage, also called traumatic brain injury (TBI), that renders victims unable to care for themselves for years or even the rest of their lives. This injury can also occur if your head is violently moved during the collision. A TBI can be recovered from, but the extent of recovery depends on the type and severity of the damage.
- Neck injuries: Whiplash is caused by a sudden snapping motion of the head and neck during an accident. For weeks, the victim will experience neck pain and difficulty moving their neck. More severe neck trauma can result in paralysis.
- Fractured bones: It is not uncommon for victims of car accidents to have broken bones in their legs, feet, arms, or hands. Crushed bones can necessitate multiple surgeries and years of rehabilitation to regain limb function. More seriously, limbs may be amputated in an accident, causing lifelong difficulties.
- Chest injuries: Ribs that have been bruised or broken may take weeks to heal. A broken rib can puncture a lung or harm other internal organs, resulting in potentially fatal injuries.
- Soft Tissue Injuries: Even a minor collision can result in bruises. Collisions can push you into your seatbelt, resulting in a bruise for a few days. Although bruising is rarely severe, it may indicate a more serious internal injury. The forces at work in a car accident can also cause your body to move in unexpected ways.
- Internal injuries: Bones can only withstand a certain amount of force before breaking. The speed at which your seatbelt stops you could fracture your ribs or break your arm if you hit it against the door. Broken bones are common in car accidents and usually heal in a few months; however, some fractures may require surgery to treat.
- Internal bleeding: Bleeding internally is one of the most serious types of internal injuries you can sustain. The force of a car crash can harm your organs, resulting in liver lacerations or kidney damage.
These injuries are common in high-speed collisions, and they must be treated immediately.
Expenses
Apart from the human costs of severe collisions, there are significant economic costs associated with medical care, emergency services, property damage, and lost productivity.
Medical Expenses
In serious accidents, medical costs can be extremely high. Fortunately, you can recover medical expenses as long as the care you received was directly caused by the crash. This can include further deterioration of pre-existing conditions, but you can only recover expenses for the deterioration, not for medical care you would have received even if you hadn’t been in an accident.
While your case is being processed, your health insurance will most likely cover some of your medical expenses. When this takes place, your health insurance company will frequently file a lien in your car accident case.
This means that, if you recover any money, a portion of it should go to your health insurance company to reimburse them for the costs they paid on your behalf.
Lost Wages, Loss Of Future Earnings, Decreased Earning Capacity
If you are unable to work while recovering from a car accident, the wages you would have earned if you were working are frequently compensable. If your accident alters your future working life, you may be able to receive compensation for that type of loss as well.
In severe cases, car accident victims may be unable to work. You may also be able to receive compensation for being unable to work for the rest of your working life.
Pain And Suffering
Other types of damages are based on quantifiable loss; however, pain and suffering costs are not.
It is impossible to put a monetary value on your physical or mental pain and suffering as a result of your accident. However, monetary compensation is the only way the law can attempt to compensate you for your losses.
Losses for pain and suffering vary greatly from case to case. They will be determined by the severity of your injuries as well as your likelihood of complete recovery.
In some cases, recovery from pain and suffering can be extremely difficult.