long term injury person holding a walker in a hospital gown

How Long Term Injuries Affect Your Personal Injury Claim

If you have been in an accident where you suffered injuries, you may wish to file a personal injury claim. You probably want your case resolved as quickly as possible, but depending on the nature of your injuries, and the facts surrounding the accident, it may not be a quick case that’s simple to resolve. You may have suffered long-term injuries that could affect you for the rest of your life and consequently affect your case. Learn more about how long term injuries can affect your personal injury claim below:

What is a Long Term Injury?

brain scanA long term injury is where a patient must receive ongoing treatment or the person has pain and suffering for an extended period of time. These types of injuries could resolve over time, or the person could be affected by them for the rest of their life. Long term injuries are also referred to as residual injuries, and they can be physical, such as traumatic brain injuries or amputations, or they can be emotional, such as PTSD or anxiety.

How Can These Injuries Affect My Claim?

You’re probably wondering how a long term injury can affect your case. Keep reading to find out how these residual injuries can influence your claim.

It could prolong your case.

These types of injuries may not immediately show up after your accident. It’s possible that some residual injuries won’t show up until months after your accident, or your symptoms from the accident could worsen over time.

This is why it is important to reach maximum medical improvement. MMI is reaching a point in time where you have recovered from your injury or you have stabilized to the point where health professionals believe you won’t improve any more than you already have. Since you need to wait until you have reached MMI, your case could be prolonged with some types of injuries.

These injuries could increase the compensation amount.

compensationAnother way your personal injury claim could be affected by long term injuries is the amount of compensation you receive. Since these types of injuries would have long-lasting or permanent effects on your life, your compensation amount could increase significantly.

If the defendant’s insurance company realizes that you potentially have a residual injury, they may push to resolve your claim quickly. If you decide to settle, this could prevent you from receiving the full amount of compensation you deserve.

Documenting Residual Injuries

Keeping up with the documentation of your injuries is important for your personal injury claim. You want a solid case from health professionals that shows the extent of your injuries due to the accident so it is easier to prove negligence and get compensation. You should ask your physician their opinion on the likelihood you could have recurring issues due to your injuries from the accident or if other issues could show up later in life due to the injuries from the accident. If they say yes, you should ask them to write it down in their notes.

Long term injuries can have an affect on your personal injury claim. If you believe injuries from the accident you were in could be considered residual, you should speak with an attorney. Contact us today to discuss your personal injury case.