If you are in a car crash, some of your injuries will be visible. You may have a swollen face after breaking your nose on the steering wheel. You might have a wound that is bleeding heavily or a broken leg or arm.
Injuries you can see are often less dangerous than ones you cannot. While your broken nose may look unsightly, it is unlikely to kill you or cause you lifelong problems. Some less visible injuries can.
Traumatic brain injuries are one such example. If you are lucky, you might only have a mild concussion that heals itself in a few days. Yet, if the damage is more severe, you could struggle to do things that once came naturally. You may struggle to think, talk or remember things and may need help to carry out household tasks. Holding down a job may become impossible.
Not all auto collision injuries are physical
The emotional and mental harm car crashes can do often last long after the physical injuries have healed. Here are some examples:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder: You may suffer flashbacks that prevent you from sleeping.
- Anxiety attacks: These could make driving or travel by car impossible.
- Depression: You might withdraw from your friends and family. It causes some people to self-harm or take their own life.
- Anger: This can occur due to brain damage and may make you hard to live with.
- Guilt: You may struggle to cope with the fact that you survived when someone else in the car died.
Insurers know the long-term costs of a car crash can be much higher than people realize. Seek advice before deciding whether to accept an early settlement. You need to understand the full extent of your injuries and their lifetime cost.