The pain, necessity for medical care, and financial losses due to a car accident are not the only effects of auto accident injuries. Some effects continue even long after your initial injuries have healed. The following are some of these long-term effects.
Susceptibility to Further Injuries
Depending on the nature of your injuries, you may be more susceptible to further accidental injuries than you were before the accident. For example, if you fractured a limb in the accident, a subsequent accident may affect the limb (even after it has healed) more than it would have without the fracture. A concussion, a brain injury due to a blow to the head, is also likely to have more devastating effects if the victim has suffered a concussion in the past. The damage can be particularly bad if the victim hasn't properly healed when they experience the subsequent concussion.
Chronic Pain
Some auto accident victims continue to experience pain even years after the accident. You may feel such pain, even if your physical injuries seem to have healed. Chronic pain is caused by a variety of things such as undiagnosed or misdiagnosed injuries and nerve damage. Some people are even genetically predisposed to chronic pain than others. Pain can disrupt nearly all aspects of your daily life. For example, you may find it difficult to enjoy playing with your kids, engage in your hobbies, or carry out your household chores, among other things.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most feared effects of an auto accident. A TBI occurs if you the impact of the accident cause your brain to collide with the skull. While you may recover from TBI, many people suffer the effects of TBI injury even years after the accident. Some of these effects include poor memory, difficulties with walking, vision problems, and even difficulties with socialization.
Scarring and Disfigurement
Lastly, a serious accident might leave you scarred and disfigured for the rest of your life. Deep tissue injuries or injuries that take a long time to heal are particularly prone to scarring. Serious scarring and disfigurement may affect your self-esteem, ability to do some jobs, and even your range of motion (for scarring and disfigurement affecting joints).
The person responsible for the accident should compensate you for all damages due to the accident, including the long-term ones. However, the onus is on you to prove that you will suffer such damages. Talk to an auto accident lawyer to help you prove your damages.
Share24 May 2019
