Even if you have excellent auto insurance, a collision could still have a huge impact on your finances. Here is a quick glimpse at just a few of the expenses that you might run into after an accident and some steps you can take to protect your finances and health.
Repairs
The average auto accident claim is just over $3,100, and quite a bit of that money usually goes to vehicle repairs. Even a minor fender bender could cause a substantial amount of cosmetic and mechanical damage to the vehicle. If the damage is worse, then you might have to claim that the vehicle is totaled, and that is going to cost you even more money down the road.
Rental Vehicle
It is an unfortunate fact that renting a vehicle after an auto accident isn’t always easy or cheap. Renting a vehicle and then getting additional rental insurance could end up costing you hundreds of dollars a week. Luckily, many insurance policies have riders that include some type of rental vehicle while your damaged vehicle is being repaired. To upgrade to a larger or nicer rental vehicle, you will most likely have to pay out of your own pocket.
Hospital Bills
When a collision results in acute injuries, then the entire situation is going to become much more complicated. A single ambulance ride and ER visit could easily cost you tens of thousands of dollars. That doesn’t even start to cover your other medical bills. That is why it is so important to immediately contact an auto accident attorney if you are ever involved in an accident that has resulted in any type of injury. Your attorney will be able to do all of the legwork of getting your compensation so that you can continue to focus on your recovery.
Ongoing Treatments
Once you have been discharged from the hospital, your ongoing treatments could last for months. Even seemingly minor injuries often require multiple trips to the hospital or a specialist who can help with physical therapy. Your prescription painkillers and other medication could end up costing you thousands as well, which is one of the reasons why every driver should ensure that they have excellent insurance.
To help get the compensation you need to cover these bills, consult an auto accident attorney. Because they have experience with these kinds of cases, they can make sure that all your documentation is submitted quickly and correctly. They’ll also defend you and your right to compensation to the opposing insurance company. While they take care of the legal things, you can focus on healing and getting your life back in order.
In addition to having to deal with all of those expenses, you might also end up missing weeks of work because of injuries. Take these missing wages into account when getting compensation after the accident.
Author information: Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University and now writes articles about health, business, family, and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.
