If you have been involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault and resulted in injuries, damages or both, you may be entitled to compensation through an auto accident lawsuit.

A successful lawsuit can help cover your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and more.

If you’ve been in an accident and are filing a car accident lawsuit, you might be wondering how such a thing can impact your life.

A car accident lawsuit could impact your life even after the case has been resolved, so it’s important to know what can happen and how you can best prepare for it.

Car accidents happen all the time, but how will this affect you?

From dealing with the aftermath of an accident to actually filing the lawsuit, here’s what you need to know about how car accident lawsuits can impact your life—for better or worse.

Injuries & Damages

Depending on the injury, a person can suffer from pain, disabilities, and chronic pain. Long-term injuries often have a much bigger effect on a person’s life than short-term injuries.

Permanent injuries can result in an inability to do what you enjoy or living with continuous aches and pains every day.

Damage to your vehicle or property may also occur as well as mental distress, anxiety and depression if the injury prevents you from working or going about your normal daily routine.

Medical Bills

Whether or not you were driving, if someone else caused a car accident, it is important to learn more about how this can affect your life and what steps you can take to mitigate the impact.

The first thing you should know is that in all states, the driver at fault for an auto accident is responsible for all medical bills that result from that collision.

This means even if you weren’t hurt and suffered no damages in the wreck, this driver could still be sued and forced to pay your medical bills.

One of the most common questions people ask after a car accident is do I need an attorney?

Generally speaking, an attorney will not file a lawsuit on your behalf unless there was gross negligence from one party involved.

Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

Everyday, thousands of people are injured in motor vehicle accidents. For these people, a personal injury lawsuit may be the only way to get the compensation they need to pay their medical bills and recover from their injuries.

If you were involved in a car accident where you were injured or your loved one was killed, it is important that you talk to an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible about your options for holding those responsible for your injuries accountable.

It is also important that you do not speak with insurance company without first consulting with an attorney to make sure that nothing you say will harm your case in any way and give away some of the damages that may be due to you at the end of a trial.

Pain & Suffering Awards

One important thing to consider when dealing with a car accident lawsuit is the fact that you may be eligible for an award for pain and suffering.

These awards are typically set by the state, but you should be prepared to pay taxes on any award that you receive from your lawsuit.

The amount that you’re able to recoup in pain and suffering varies by situation.

Some awards might include lost wages and damages for future earnings, property damage or medical expenses related to the accident.

Long-Term Effects of Injuries in an Auto Crash

The life of someone who has been in a car accident and injured can be affected drastically, with the degree of damage dependent on the severity of the injury.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over 27 million people are treated for traumatic brain injuries every year.

In the United States, car accidents are the leading cause of death for people ages 2 to 34 and cost $2 trillion per year, according to SafeAuto Insurance Company.

Additionally, studies show that injuries involving vehicles often result in chronic pain such as headaches, sleep problems, muscle aches and low back pain.

As more than one out of three adults experience chronic back pain at some point in their lives, those who sustain it following an auto crash may feel hopeless.

Long-term health issues resulting from being hit by a car include cervical spine degeneration, herniated discs and osteoarthritis.