Motor vehicle collisions are one of the top causes of serious injury and premature death in the United States. People involved in crashes can break bones, develop brain injuries and injure their spinal cords. Anyone who has been hurt in a car crash may need to file an insurance claim or possibly a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who caused the wreck. Liability rules mean that those who cause collisions through negligent conduct or a failure to follow traffic laws may have financial culpability for the collision.
In addition to pursuing compensation for medical expenses, people may also need to calculate their lost wages and lost earning potential in order to better inform their damages estimate. The injuries that someone suffers in a car crash could affect their career in numerous different ways, including the three issues below.
Crashes can cause new functional limitations
Whether someone works in a mentally-exhausting white-collar career or a physically-demanding blue-collar profession, crash injuries could affect their job performance. Someone who suffers a spiral fracture to their leg, for example, may never have the same strength and range of motion they previously enjoyed. Others could suffer consequences from a brain injury that affect their job performance in a white-collar job. Injuries can diminish the income someone can earn and may force them to retire or change professions.
Lost time can affect career trajectories
Even in scenarios where workers could make a full recovery, they may miss work. Both extended leaves of absence after a crash, and regular, shorter absences while undergoing treatment can affect someone’s career opportunities. Generally speaking, employers should not consider medical issues when deciding who to promote. However, research has shown that those who miss large amounts of work for health-related issues often have a more difficult time developing their careers than those who do not frequently miss work.
Collisions can affect mental health
A car crash that severely injures someone or causes injuries to others could affect someone’s mental health. People sometimes develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression or anxiety after a major collision. The mental health consequences of a crash can have subtle implications on someone’s career. They may have a harder time closing deals with clients or may no longer be as effective at managing subordinates in the workplace. The mental health and social consequences of crash trauma can impact someone’s job performance and diminish their chances of securing the best opportunities in the future.
Individuals who are negotiating insurance settlements or preparing to take a personal injury claim to court often need to consider the potentially complex career consequences their injuries could trigger. Accurately quantifying the financial impact an injury can have on someone’s income may make it easier for them to request a fair amount of compensation after a crash caused by another’s negligence.
