6 Unexpected Bills You May Face After Being Injured in a Car Crash
Being injured in a car crash can create some serious bills, not all of which are related to medical care. When you’ve been seriously injured, even the highest settlement offer from an insurance company won’t be enough to cover all of your expenses. Pursuing a personal injury lawsuit is the best way to keep unexpected bills from draining your savings account or putting you into debt.
While the majority of your bills will come from medical expenses, you might be surprised at some of the expenses that pop up after a car accident.
photo/Claim Accident Services
Here are just some of those bills:
- Extended medical expenses
While any major injuries will be obvious enough to treat right away, you could end up paying for medical care beyond what you initially expected. For example, you might not know you have whiplash right away. Or, your condition might worsen, forcing you to receive continued treatment for a long period of time.
Medical expenses are always high, even when you have insurance. In a worst-case scenario, your insurance may not even cover your needs. You can also expect to pay your deductible if you haven’t already, which will only make your share of medical bills even higher.
- Vehicle rental
After a car accident, you could be without a car for quite a while. Whether you need a car for a short period of time or until you buy a new car, you’ll need to rent a car in the meantime.
Some car insurance policies cover car rentals, but only for a certain number of days. If your coverage included a rental car, take advantage of that for however long the coverage lasts. After that, you’ll need to shop around for a discount on long-term rentals.
You could always opt to be without a car, but that might make life difficult if you’re still attending medical appointments or going to physical therapy. If you don’t want to rely on someone else for transportation, and public transportation isn’t an option, expect at least some rental car expenses.
- Car repairs
If your car isn’t destroyed, you’ll be taking it to the shop for repair. Most of the damage will be obvious, but there also might be hidden damage.
Car accidents can cause invisible damage to your vehicle that you may not notice right away. For example, you may have damaged your vehicle’s frame, your trunk might not open properly, or you might have damage to your electrical system or alignment.
- Accumulating personal bills
If your injuries prevent you from working, you can expect your personal bills to accumulate. Your electric bill, internet, TV, and cell phone bills might fall into collections. Hopefully you can pay your rent with your savings, but some people fall behind on rent, too.
Filing a lawsuit is your best chance at not falling behind on personal bills. If you win your case, you’ll likely receive compensation for more than just medical bills. Your case might go to trial, but it will most likely be settled out of court.
- Car loan payments
If you’re making car payments, totaling your car won’t make those payments go away. You’ll still have to pay your car loan installments for the duration of the loan. This can be extremely unsettling, especially if you haven’t owned your car for long.
If you have gap insurance, you might be able to cancel your loan, but it depends on your coverage and the loan terms. If you’re relying on an insurance company’s payout, you won’t get enough compensation to cover the cost of paying back an auto loan.
However, when you pursue a lawsuit, you’ll have a better chance at recovering enough compensation to cover your payments.
- Towing services
Depending on the severity of your accident, you may need to call a tow truck. This can happen if your car is totaled or if you’re incapacitated. Hopefully, your car insurance will cover towing services, but if not, you may need to pay out of pocket.
Seek proper compensation to cover all your bills
No matter how serious your injuries are, you’ll need as much compensation as you can get. Speak with a lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your case. Don’t rely on the puny settlements offered by the insurance company. They’re never going to offer you what your case is worth.
With a lawsuit, you can recover far more compensation, which will cover many of the unexpected expenses in this list.
Author: Anne Johansson
