Types of Compensation You Can Receive After a Car Accident

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(Newswire.net — May 23, 2023) — You are in a car accident, and you are in a lot of pain. You go to multiple medical appointments, and the bills pile up. You think that even if you do feel better, you will never be able to crawl out from under the mountain of debt that you are left with.

If another person’s negligence caused the injuries, their insurance should pay for your accident-related bills. These bills are not limited strictly to medical expenses. You can receive several different kinds of compensation after an accident.

Repairs to Your Vehicle

When you are injured in a car accident, there is a good chance that your car will be damaged too. You will need repairs, and the other person’s accident insurance will pay for it. The state of California requires that drivers have $5,000 of insurance for property damage.

If the damages to your car exceed what the car is worth, your car will be considered totaled. The other driver’s insurance company will have to pay you for whatever the car was worth right before the accident.

Medical Bills

When you have an accident, you are likely to have to go to the doctor more than once. You may need surgery and physical therapy. The other driver’s insurance company should pay for whatever medical treatment you need.

Be sure to save all of your receipts for medications you have taken. Drugs can be very expensive and are often included In the medical compensation you will get from an insurance company.

 People in California are required to have liability insurance of $15,000 for injury or death to one person and $30,000 worth of insurance for injury or death to more than one person.

Lost Wages

Doctor’s offices tend to be open during business hours. Some of them may stay open a bit past 5:00, but it is very hard to get medical appointments and surgery at night. Hence, you are going to have to miss some work if you want to be properly treated for your injuries. When you miss work, you lose out on wages. Insurance should pay for the wages you have lost as a result of your accident.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering is a legal term that applies to compensation for non-economic damages after an accident. Money for pain and suffering is generally awarded after very severe accidents. Normally a person will have to be permanently disfigured or temporarily or permanently disabled to receive this kind of compensation. 

An insurance adjuster will want to see plenty of evidence of pain and suffering. They need to see proof of mental health services, such as a report from the therapist that you speak to. You will also want to keep a journal detailing the way the accident has affected your physical and emotional life.

A car accident is one of the worst things a person can experience. Getting compensation makes the road to recovery smoother.