How To Return To ‘Normal’ Life After Being Seriously Injured In A Car Accident

Being in a car accident, even a minor one, is a traumatic experience. Surviving one that leaves you with serious injuries can take months, sometimes years to heal. It would be great if you could just snap your fingers and everything would return to how it was. Unfortunately, it won’t be that easy. 

You don’t only have to recover from your physical injuries. It’s likely you may have developed a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in response to your accident. There’s also the cost of your medical care, repairing or buying a new car, and filing claims. The road to normal is sometimes a long one. These are the steps you should take to move towards it 

Step 1: Seek The Appropriate Medical Care

A serious injury after a car accident is nothing to dismiss. While you may feel able enough to go about regular duties, you may be exacerbating an unknown injury. This may have serious consequences later in your life.

Seeking medical help directly after the accident lets you know how critical your injuries are and the treatment you are likely to need. A doctor can then prescribe a course of care for you at that point along with the appropriate medications.

Step 2: Collect Or Have Someone You Trust Collect All The Documentation Related To Your Accident

Police reports, medical reports, insurance claims forms, prescriptions. Managing all the paperwork related to your accident can become overwhelming. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may not be able to deal with any of this yourself initially. Get someone you can rely on to store all the documents in one place as well as update them when necessary. You will need all your paperwork if you decide to go on to step 3.

Step 3: Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer

It is hard to sustain an injury that reduces your quality of life and takes away your ability to earn an income, especially if you were not at fault. Worse, insurance companies may be pushing you toward a quick and early settlement of your claim.

You don’t need to be hurried into making a decision. The team at https://www.kentuckycourage.com/ explained that you must exercise your right to seek advice from a personal injury lawyer. A cursory check online will reveal a number of offices where you can discuss the facts of your case with a qualified lawyer.

  • You won’t have to pay as your first consultation with a personal injury lawyer is free. If they decide to pursue your claim, you only pay after your case is successfully settled.
  • A personal injury will take over discussions with insurance companies as well as the bulk of your paperwork, freeing you to focus on your medical treatment.
  • A personal injury lawyer will also gather evidence to support your claim and handle all of the legalities arising out of it.

Hiring a personal injury lawyer can be a crucial step in getting your life back to normal after an accident. It should merit some consideration as you work to regain the full function of your body.

Step 4: Attend All Prescribed Medical Treatment Sessions/Take Prescriptions As Stipulated By Doctor

You won’t become better if you neglect to go to physical therapy or to take your medication as directed by your physician. The point is to get your life back to normal as soon as possible, and this is going to be harder to do if you ignore medical advice.

Step 5: Seek Psychological Counselling If You Need It

Some people who are seriously injured in accidents tend to experience flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety. Others have difficulty getting into a vehicle to drive or have trouble passing near the site of the accident. They may be helped by talking to a trained mental health professional, who will be able to give them the tools they need to overcome these difficulties.

Step 6: Create a Support System

You don’t have to go through recovery from a serious accident alone. Form a community of people who will assist you and surround you with care and love as you go through this difficult time.

This can be a diverse group of people and comprise anyone from those you meet during your physical therapy sessions, to members of your church, your friends and family, even your employer and colleagues from work.

If your injury is serious enough, you’re going to need help for an extended period of time. It makes sense to create a network of people, not only to support you emotionally and mentally, but to undertake physical activity you can’t do for yourself. 

In all of this, perhaps the most important step is to be patient. Serious accidents and injuries can be disruptive. It may be some time before things are normal again. If you make a conscious effort towards it, normal may be back sooner than you think.


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