When dealing with an injury settlement, any tempting amount of money may distract you from the long-term costs of living with injury. Whether you're optimistic about recovery or unsure about the true costs of living with injury, consider the ever-changing costs of medical care and an injured lifestyle before signing any legal documents.
What Are The Costs Of An Injury?
The first and possibly easiest costs of an injury are the initial medical care costs and related treatment. As you move into a settlement agreement, you'll need to make sure that those costs are covered by your legal opponent—if they're willing to settle, it shouldn't be for less than the obvious medical treatment for your injuries.
Lost wages are also important. If you've missed any time at all from work or your income earning activities, make sure to get accurate pay information from your employer. Attached to wages are bills, including late fees that may have accrued.
Other costs may be a bit more difficult to pinpoint. If you've been injured for a long time and are unable to exercise, your work-related health may be at risk. Increased weight, inability to work through physical labor as effectively as possible, and pain associated with work may bring your productivity down for months or even years after an injury's setbacks.
If you have a family history of diabetes and are unable to slow down your weight gain due to injury, you may have a difficult time switching to a proper diet to stay healthy. There are costs associated with changing diets or an entire lifestyle as well as the costs of medical conditions such as diabetes.
The problem is that such issues aren't easily linked to a past injury. The issues may not set in until years after the injury, and there may be a burden of proof on you if you don't demand a compensation amount far greater than the medical bills already delivered.
Costs Of Everyday Living
Your personal life deserves compensation as well. If you're unable to go grocery shopping or make it to important personal events, or if you can't leave the home without assistance, you should negotiate for a living stipend to make life easier.
Whether you have friends or family that can help you in a time of need, there is still a cost associated to a change in routine. Someone may have to spend extra gas money or you may need to take other people away from their careers or personal lives to help you.
Make sure to document the cost of assistance from others. Contact a personal injury attorney, such as at www.hubeandtucker.com, to begin a negotiation plan that includes transportation, home living assistance, and the burden of injury recovery.
