Being involved in a car accident in Nevada can be traumatizing and sometimes life altering. What happens to you is often not your fault and you should be compensated not only for property damages, but also pain and suffering. By hiring a licensed Nevada personal injury attorney, you can get the best possible outcome.
What is Pain and Suffering?
Damages from a car accident are grouped into two groups: economic and non-economic. Economic damages include such expenses as medical costs. Medical bills have defined costs that are easy for insurance companies and jurors to understand. Non-economic costs are more difficult to explain and often include intangible objects; an example of this is mental trauma. [1]
An important aspect of assessing pain and suffering is viewing how one’s standard of life has changed as a result of the accident, including identifying depression or anxiety that has developed as a result of the accident. For example, the most common stress disorder developed by accident victims is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. This disorder causes a patient to undergo bouts of panic attacks and often requires medication and counseling. [2]
Assessing and the further understanding of “pain and suffering” is best done by a personal injury attorney in conjunction with specialized medical experts that can help sort through and identify the long-term damages the accident may have caused.
Common Injuries Due to Motor Vehicle Accidents
Being involved in a motor vehicle accident can cause serious injuries that can result in a lifetime of pain and expenses. Here are few examples listed below.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI): The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines a brain injury as a bump, blow, or jolt to head that disrupts normal brain function. A severe TBI can require one be placed in a qualified medical facility, such as a nursing home. The need for 24-hour care is costly. Most nursing homes cost an average of $9,000 a month. [3]
- Spinal Cord Injury: This type of injury can paralyze victims, requiring the use of a power chair and home modifications. The costs associated with a spinal cord injury can reach into the millions of dollars throughout the patient’s lifetime. It can also cause chronic pain and sometimes includes the prolonged use of strong pain medication. [4]
- Broken bones: The chance of breaking more than one in a serious accident is very real. The type of break can greatly impact the recovery time. A severely broken bone can require multiple surgeries, extensive physical therapy, cause chronic pain and force you to miss time at work.
- Internal injuries: Internal injuries are very dangerous due to the lack of obvious symptoms soon after the accident. Internal bleeding, for example, can lead to organ damage if not diagnosed immediately.
These injuries are very painful and can have long-term impacts on one’s quality of life, especially if involved in a catastrophic accident. These injuries can be chronic and take a toll on your mental health, making it difficult to go to work or live your day to day life to the fullest. Getting financial compensation can ensure you have the support you need, even if your life cannot return to normal.
Benefits of an Injury Attorney
Many may consider taking the settlement the insurance company offers rather than hiring an injury attorney to assess the situation. However, insurance companies are in the business or minimizing claims and often do not completely understand the extent of your true pain and suffering. The amount they offer is most likely not enough to cover your future care or to fairly compensate you for your suffering. A personal injury lawyer can help evaluate your case for free and direct you to the best specialized medical care to help make you whole again. If you do decide to employ an injury attorney, they will represent your best interests from start to finish, including negotiations with the insurance company and ensuring all avenues of rightful compensation are pursued. Insurance companies try a variety of tactics to delay, deny, or underpay accident victims what they deserve. Personal injury lawyers are well aware of this, and they negotiate and ensure you get the compensation you deserve. [5]
Your traumatic incident leaves you in the wrong mental state to deal with compensation, insurance companies, time off from work and medical care by yourself. If an insurance company contacts you directly, don’t discuss the merits of the accident, but refer them to your lawyer. Their pressuring tactics to get you to accept less than you deserve only adds to your stress and confusion about the situation. Trying to negotiate with them on your own can leave you without the funds you need for your medical care or future needs. A personal injury attorney will sort through the details of the settlement and deal with the insurance companies so you can take the time to heal and get your life back in order.
[2] https://www.bensonbingham.com/understanding-wrongful-death-actions
[3] https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/index.html
[4] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spinal-cord-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20377890
[5] https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/do-i-need-a-lawyer-if-the-car-accident-was-minor-38833
Image Credit by Nick Youngson