For all the conveniences that motor vehicles offer, they also carry significant risks for injury and death for the people who ride in them and even pedestrians. When someone suffers a serious injury in a motor vehicle collision, they may live with the resulting injuries for the rest of their life.
Severe injuries don’t just impact the victim in the crash. They also have a long-term impact on the lives of the loved ones of the person who gets hurt. The injury has a sort of ripple effect, starting with the physical consequences for the person in the crash, spreading out to many other areas of life.
The various effects of an injury on the victim
The most obvious and immediate impact of an injury for the victim will clearly be the physical pain and limitations that they experience as a result of the injury. Those symptoms that they experience will have not just the impact of pain and reduced mobility but it may be difficult to perform their job or take care of themselves.
Performing work around the house that they used to do or even taking care of their own kids may become painful or impossible to do. Debilitating symptoms and chronic pain can often lead to depression and other secondary mental health consequences after the injury, to say nothing of traumatic stress from the accident itself, which may manifest in a number of different ways.
How car crash injuries affect family members of the victim
When someone gets hurt in a car crash, their injuries may range from the loss of limbs to the loss of the ability to walk. For those who suffer head injuries, changes in personality can sometimes occur. Individuals with severe injuries may become completely dependent on their family members for basic needs, which can also affect their mood and behavior.
The household may have to adjust to increased bills and decreased income while individual members also have to contribute more labor to compensate for tasks once performed by their loved one. In some cases, they may have to hire outside help to cover some of the work, which can quickly become expensive. A single individual may contribute 20 hours or more of unpaid labor to the household every week, and replacing that much work can become exhausting or expensive over time.
Financial compensation can reduce the long-term impacts of a crash by helping cover some of these expenses and giving financial support to those who need it during a difficult transition to their new reality.