No parent ever plans for accidents. One minute, life is ticking along as usual, and the next, it’s all ER visits, hospital stays, missed work, and a cleaner that isn’t your own anymore. And the thing is, people tend to think of accidents as the immediate crisis, but that’s only part of the story. The rest creeps up on you when you’re at your most vulnerable. The ER bill, the car repair, and the reduced wage because you took too much time off. The impact is rarely invisible, and it’s not just physical; it’s emotional and financial too.
If you’re wanting to protect your family from the impact an accident can have, you need to know the hidden costs you might be landed with. Let’s take a look.
Medical Bills Beyond the ER
Even if you have great insurance, you’re going to have ongoing medical bills after an accident. It might just be prescriptions for minor injuries and pain, but it can also mean ongoing support for life-changing injuries.
The ER copay is just the beginning; follow-up appointments, physical therapy, medications, long-term rehabilitation, mobility aids, etc, can all be a part of your future, and all are expensive. And parents know how fast they can be thrown off with an extra bill to pay for. This is why good record-keeping is vital to help you track back expenses in the future, if possible.
Lost Wages
There is a high possibility that your accident or a family member’s accident can result in you needing to take time off work. Even an afternoon off can unbalance your finances and put you at a loss for the month, and you will struggle to pay bills. And a loss of income impacts your ability to pay your rent or mortgage, cover your grocery shopping, or all of your utility bills, depending on how long you have to take off work.
Extra Care and Childcare Expenses
If you’re suddenly unable to do pick-ups and drop-offs, finding someone who can be costly. If you need to care for an injured child at home while you go to work, a babysitter won’t come cheap. Add in the cost of travel to appointments, and suddenly these accident expenses are spiraling out of control. And that’s before you get anything like having to pay for groceries to be delivered because you can’t get to the store, or ordering more takeout meals because you can’t cook while recovering!
Legal Fees and Settlements
If someone else’s negligence caused the accident, then you need legal help to get your costs reimbursed because insurance doesn’t always cover everything. This is where an experienced attorney can be invaluable. Let’s take the Javier Villarreal Law Firm, an accident law firm. Using their services can help you get the compensation you need, so that all of the bills don’t fall on you to pay for. And having someone else advocate on your behalf can be exactly what you need during this time to help with the recovery process and to have one less thing to worry about.
