OUR BLOG

Following an accident, you could suffer from a temporary or permanent disability. Getting compensation for your disability, including your medical bills and present and future pain and suffering, involves determining your prognosis and the extent to which your disability affects your life.

Short-Term or Long-Term Disability?

A broken bone can leave you disabled for a few months. A spinal cord injury can leave you disabled for life. You need to know how long your doctor expects you to be disabled to seek fair compensation for your debilitating injury.

Other Factors to Consider

Once your doctor gives you a prognosis on whether or disability is short-term and expected to heal or permanent, you need to consider how your disability affects your life. A short-term disability might put you out of work for a month or two, meaning your damages could include lost wages. If you are unable to return to work ever because of a permanent disability, your damages should reflect your life-long needs, not just those of the present.

Why Your Lifestyle Matters

You may also recover compensation for your loss of functioning, ability to take care of yourself or your family, and your loss of enjoyment in life. If you are left paralyzed, and you have a family to take care of, your settlement should reflect your loss of capacity. Similarly, if you were a professional athlete and no longer able to play due to your disability, your settlement should reflect both loss of income and your inability to participate in your regular activities.

A Note of Caution

If you have been disabled in an accident and are seeking compensation, you should work closely with an Arlington Heights auto accident attorney. Cases involving disability can be complicated, especially if the disability is permanent. Your eligibility for Social Security Disability could affect your claim, as could any workers’ comp benefits you could receive. In short, many factors can affect your claim, so you should have skilled legal representation when filing your claim. An attorney can serve as your advocate so you can focus on recovery and treatment.

A disability can affect your life in many ways. If you have a disability, make sure your priority is taking care of yourself. Follow your doctor’s recommended treatment plan, stay healthy, and seek support from friends and family.