3 ways a car crash injury can impact your earning potential

On Behalf of Egolf + Ferlic + Martinez + Cox, LLC

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Jun 07, 2022

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Personal Injury

Whether you just want to file an insurance claim or intend to file a civil lawsuit against the other driver, you need to understand what a car crash will cost you. One of the ways people underestimate the impact of a crash on their lives involves the impact an injury will have on their income.

People frequently fail to make the lost wages claims that they might qualify for under New Mexico personal injury and insurance laws. Recognizing the multiple ways in which an injury could affect your career can help you more realistically estimate the financial impact the injury will have on your family.

You may miss quite a bit of work

Immediately after a car crash, you could spend several weeks in the hospital. Many people only claim those missed days of work when negotiating for lost wages. However, you may have routine medical appointments for years, depending on the nature of the injury and how severe it is.

Even if you have paid time off, you will still have to use your personal benefits to offset the time lost because of the crash injury. Estimating the total amount of work that you will miss over the rest of your career is important when evaluating the impact of an injury on your career.

You may have to change professions

Whether you work as a bricklayer or as an industrial employee in a factory setting, your injury might leave you struggling to do your job responsibilities safely and efficiently.

A change of profession may be necessary, which can drastically increase the financial impact of your injuries. Not only do you need to consider the drop in wages but also how your career may have progressed and the income and benefits that you will lose when you switch professions.

Injuries can change your personality or appearance

Your demeanor and your physical body may be different after a major car crash leaves you with significant injuries. Even if you can still technically perform your job functions, you may no longer have the same relationship with co-workers or clients that you once enjoyed. The changes to your behavior and looks may also affect how management at your company perceives you and opportunities arise in your career.

You need to think seriously about what an injury will mean for your future before you decide what forms of compensation are necessary or agree to a settlement. Putting a realistic value on car crash injuries will help you maximize the compensation you receive for those injuries.