What if I’m Permanently Disabled After My Car Accident?

If you are permanently disabled after your car accident, and another party was at least partially responsible, you may be entitled to receive financial compensation through a personal injury claim. In general, sustaining a permanent disability should increase that amount. Moreover, it could take years of treatment to get some sense of normalcy back in your life. The financial strain becomes worse if you are the primary income earner for your family.

Contact us at Kogan & DiSalvo for a free consultation with a car accident lawyer in Florida. Our team could review your case and determine if you have a viable personal injury claim. We are compassionate and dedicated and understand how destabilizing a permanent disability is for you and your family.

Why Suffering a Permanent Disability May Increase Your Car Crash Settlement

As noted above, car accident victims may be eligible for financial compensation for their damages. There are three primary categories of damages that you may pursue through a car crash claim:

• Economic damages include medical costs, rehabilitation, in-home care, home remodel necessitated by your injuries, lost wages, and loss of earning capacity.
• Non-economic damages may include physical and emotional pain and suffering, loss of companionship, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Punitive damages are rare and generally only rewarded in cases where the defendant’s negligence was particularly egregious. These monetary damages are designed to deter that person and society from ever behaving similarly again.

The higher your medical bills, the more time from work you are forced to miss, and the longer you experience intense pain and suffering, the more financial compensation you are likely to receive. In addition, a permanent disability will likely necessitate extensive medical attention both in the present and the future and may significantly limit–or even prevent altogether–your ability to return to the workforce.

Further, your relationships with those closest to you may be affected due to the physical, emotional, and financial trauma you have sustained. All of these issues indicate a more significant amount of damages that a car accident attorney may be able to help you achieve.

You May Also Be Able to Receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

Personal injury claims can be challenging to win. Perhaps you accepted the first settlement offer the insurance company extended to you, which you now realize will not begin to cover the expenses. Maybe you tried to pursue your claim without hiring an attorney, or the accident was mostly your fault. Nevertheless, car crash victims who are permanently disabled may still be eligible to receive SSDI.

To qualify, you will need to meet the following elements:

• You are at least 18 years of age.
• You are suffering from a condition expected to last for at least a year or to afflict you for the rest of your life. Your medical records and testimony from a medical professional treating you can help you prove this element.
• You have been diagnosed with a mental, emotional, or physical injury that prevents you from handling any substantial gainful employment, whether it be the role you held up until the crash or something else. To determine whether you can work, your Residual Functional Capacity will be evaluated by a disability examiner to decipher what you can do. Some factors that will be considered include your ability to walk, your use of your arms and hands, your mental state, and the amount of chronic pain you are experiencing.
• You have accumulated at least 20 Social Security credits from jobs paid into the system. This generally requires most employees to have worked for five to eight years before qualifying.
• You have not been denied SSDI within the last 60 days.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Us at Kogan & DiSalvo

At Kogan & DiSalvo, we know this is not just a case–it is your life. We fully understand your physical, emotional, and financial pain. We leave no stone unturned to ensure you have the financial resources to rebuild your life. If you have been permanently disabled after your car accident, call us to schedule your complimentary case evaluation; there is no obligation to hire us afterward. And since we work on a contingency fee basis, you will not pay attorney’s fees unless we win compensation for your injuries. We look forward to hearing from you.