The employment consequences of a car crash often extend far beyond the risk that someone ends up late for work and in need of a rental vehicle for a few weeks. For those who suffer significant injuries, there may be major career consequences. Some people might lose their jobs because they require so much time away from work or have such debilitating symptoms after a car crash. Other people may end up in lower-paid professions or unable to achieve their career ambitions because of the medical consequences of a crash.
There will be lost wages that people incur when they miss days of work due to treatment or injuries and also lost earning potential experienced by those with lingering symptoms who no longer have the same functional abilities as they did prior to a collision. The total loss in income could add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars or even more depending on someone’s age and profession.
The party at fault for a victim’s harm is often financially liable
Alabama has a straightforward, liability-based approach to car insurance. Motorists have the option of buying as much coverage as they might like, but most of the time a claim is only possible when there is someone else at fault for a crash.
If someone hurt in a collision can show that there is another party to blame, then that individual’s liability coverage will pay for their medical treatment and can also help replace their lost wages. Unfortunately for those involved in the major collision in Alabama, what the state mandates in insurance isn’t necessarily a realistic reflection of how devastating car crashes can be. People can drive with just $25,000 in bodily injury coverage. That might not be enough to even cover someone’s hospital bills, and it might represent only a fraction of someone’s annual earning potential.
When insurance fails, lawsuits are possible
There are personal injury statutes in Alabama that allow people to file a lawsuit against a driver who caused a crash through negligence or a violation of traffic laws. A successful lawsuit against a driver who caused a crash might end with the courts awarding the plaintiff the full value of their lost earning potential and lost wages.
In order to receive the full compensation that someone deserves after a crash, they need to understand what the collision will cost them and what options they have for recovering those amounts. Taking the right steps after an Alabama car crash may help people reduce the long-term consequences that they and their families suffer because of an injurious wreck.