Long-Term Medical Costs After a Texas Truck Accident
Do you need a truck accident attorney to help with your long-term medical costs from a truck accident? Truck accidents can lead to serious, long-lasting injuries, including chronic pain, paralysis, loss of limbs, and more. They’re often more severe than collisions between two standard passenger vehicles because of the massive size difference between a truck and a car.
It might be difficult to determine your medical costs, as these can continue for months or even years after the crash. Not all medical issues present themselves immediately after the wreck. Post-crash swelling from the impact can mask certain issues, which means they won’t show up until that swelling goes down.
Understanding long-term costs is very important for Texas truck accident victims because it will determine how much money they should receive from the trucking company or other guilty party. Although you will likely experience a lot of pain and suffering after the event, you shouldn’t be expected to suffer financial ruin as well. A good truck wreck lawyer can help you determine those costs and get you the money you deserve.
Let’s look at why truck accidents cause long-term injuries, the medical costs involved in the short and long terms, and when you should consult a Texas truck collision lawyer for your case.
Why Truck Accidents Often Cause Long-Term Injuries
Truck accidents commonly cause long-term injuries for several reasons, the biggest being the massive size and weight differences between trucks and passenger vehicles. A 2018 Ford Focus weighs about 3,000 pounds depending on the exact model. An 18-wheel truck, however, normally weighs about 35,000 pounds with no cargo and has a maximum weight limit of 80,000 pounds including freight.
If a truck weighing nearly 20 times the size of a standard car impacts at a high speed, the size differential means there’s a greater risk of catastrophic or life-altering injuries for those in the smaller vehicle. The crushing force on the car can lead to massive internal damage, too.
Even worse, there’s also a risk of delayed complications or progressive conditions. For example, after your accident, you may wake up in the hospital to find out that you have no feeling in your feet and can’t move your toes. A month later, you might find yourself unable to walk. This is an example of a progressive disease, as the paralysis is progressing from your feet to the rest of your legs.
Common Long-Term Injuries From Texas Truck Accidents
Perhaps the most common injury after a Texas truck accident is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the short term, a mild TBI is called a concussion. You’ll also be more prone to future concussions after your first. These can have lasting effects, including memory and concentration loss, as well as personality changes. Treatment includes ongoing cognitive therapy.
You may also have spinal cord or back injuries resulting in temporary, partial or permanent paralysis, burn injuries from your car catching fire. These can result in chronic pain and limited mobility. Orthopedic injuries, which are injuries to your bones, can result in multiple fractures or broken bones. These can require immediate surgeries to repair and, if there’s joint damage as well, you may have multiple surgeries in the future.
Internal organ damage is another serious concern, particularly if it’s the heart or lungs, although the liver or other organs can be affected, too. These will require multiple follow-up procedures and constant monitoring.
PTSD, anxiety, and depression are examples of psychological and emotional trauma that may likely present after a Texas truck accident. Treatment may include long-term counseling or therapy sessions, as well as potential prescription medications.
Types of Long-Term Medical Costs Victims May Face
There are several long-term medical costs that you may face after the accident, including ongoing doctor visits to check your progress. In addition to your doctor, you’ll also likely need a specialist. You’ll also need physical therapy and rehabilitation appointments if you have mobility or other issues as a result of the accident.
You’ll also likely receive multiple prescriptions from your doctor to treat various symptoms, including pain. Even if your insurance covers the bulk, you’ll likely still have a co-pay. You may also require additional surgeries or medical procedures in the future that won’t be covered by your initial visits.
Mental health treatment is very important for everyone, but especially for those who have been in life-altering accidents. On the physical side, you may require in-home assistance from a registered nurse or caregiver as well.
Hidden and Overlooked Medical Expenses
You will also likely have hidden and overlooked medical expenses as well, depending on the severity of the accident. At the very least, you may need to buy a wheelchair, braces, crutches, or a cane to support your mobility at least temporarily. If the accident caused you to lose a limb, you’ll likely want to pay for a prosthetic.
You’ll also need some home modifications for increased accessibility, like wheelchair ramps in and out of the home, handlebars near the toilet and in the bathtub, and a chairlift if your home has stairs, among others.
Transportation to medical appointments can also be another hidden expense, especially if you no longer have a vehicle or are unable to drive. Having to call an accessible taxi or rideshare can add up over multiple appointments. Long-term pain management is another important consideration, as this may involve physical therapy, medication for potentially the rest of your life, and more.
How Long-Term Medical Costs Are Calculated in Texas Truck Accident Claims
First, we must differentiate between the current truck accident medical cost and a future medical expense. Anything that immediately presents after an accident, like broken bones or paralysis, is considered a current cost because you’re actively working on it. Future medical costs include things like surgeries for joint issues or other secondary effects that are only discovered or develop later on.
Medical experts and life care planners will not only help you through the issues you’re experiencing, but their advice can also help you determine your potential future costs. It’s important to have detailed medical documentation for your own knowledge and planning for your long-term medical care needs, as well as its use as evidence in a potential court case.
Who Pays for Long-Term Medical Care After a Texas Truck Accident?
Ideally, your health insurance should cover the majority of your actual medical expenses, although you will be responsible for paying any related deductibles. However, your provider might not be willing to pay, as they’ll claim the trucking company is at fault and their insurance should be the one covering your expenses.
The Texas Department of Insurance also requires trucking companies to have insurance, ranging from a minimum of $300,000 in liability coverage for household goods and school buses up to a maximum of $5 million.
This also brings up the issue of “multiple liability”. Your insurance might claim that the truck driver is responsible for hitting you, while the driver claims the trucking company is responsible, the trucking company will tell you that the fault lies with their maintenance contractor, and the maintenance technician will claim that it was the parts manufacturer and their faulty equipment that caused the crash.
Some or all of these statements could be true at the same time. Unfortunately, that’s not very helpful for determining financial responsibility. It’s a good reason to contact a good Texas accident attorney, as their motion for discovery before the trial can give you the answers that you need from each party’s official logs.
Your insurance company might also suggest subrogation, a legal process whereby they agree to cover your truck accident medical costs in exchange for the right to sue the trucking company or other responsible party themselves. This might sound like a good idea, but it can lead to reimbursement issues, especially if their offer only covers your initial care and excludes any long-term issues that don’t immediately present.
Challenges Victims Face When Seeking Compensation
The biggest challenges that Texas truck accident victims face in seeking compensation come from their insurance companies. They often minimize the costs of future care and will resist paying if a long-term issue presents a month or even longer after the accident.
They’ll also dispute the permanence or severity of your injuries. If you suffer from limited mobility and have problems walking after the accident, for example, but you work a desk job, they might argue that your injuries don’t impact your ability to work and make money. As a result, they’ll try to give you less money than you deserve.
Another obstacle is the company that owns the truck involved in the accident. They and their legal team will almost certainly pressure you into signing a settlement immediately because it’s in their best interests. They pay you to sign a legally binding document that means you can’t sue them or ask them for more money in the future, while avoiding court. This is a bad idea for you, however, because they want you to sign before you know what your long-term needs will be. Your medical bills and other costs could be significantly higher in the long term compared to the settlement amount.
Why Legal Guidance Matters for Long-Term Medical Cost Claims
It’s important to seek legal guidance after a Texas truck accident for several reasons. First, it’ll help you protect your right to future medical compensation. Not all injuries will present immediately, which means you’ll want to know your options and keep them open in case something comes up later on.
It also prevents undervalued settlements. Many companies offer what they refer to behind closed doors as “go away money”. As in, here’s $5,000 to go away and not sue us. However, if a long-term medical issue does arise, it may end up costing you a lot more than $5,000, meaning you’d have to pay the remainder out-of-pocket.
Attorneys, especially truck accident lawyers, use expert testimony to support their claims in court, which can greatly shift the results of the case. Remember the final courtroom scene in the movie My Cousin Vinny, where Marisa Tomei’s expert testimony proves the prosecution’s case couldn’t possibly be correct? If you’re in a similar situation, a knowledgeable Texas truck accident attorney can use expert testimony much in the same way to help your case.
What Texas Truck Accident Victims Should Do Next
After a Texas truck accident, it’s important to schedule follow-up appointments to track the progression of your injuries. Not all long-term conditions or complications will present immediately, and those that do might not always heal correctly. You should also keep track of all expenses, as you shouldn’t be expected to bear a financial burden due to an accident that wasn’t your fault.
You’ll likely receive an early settlement offer from the trucking company for your medical bills, but the best practice is to avoid accepting it. Not only because they’re likely trying to lowball you to avoid a lawsuit, but if a major medical issue presents after you’ve accepted the offer, you might not have the money to pay for it after signing away your right to file litigation.
You should consider speaking with a Texas truck wreck attorney, as many offer free consultations. A delivery truck accident lawyer can help you navigate your legal recourse through their years of experience helping others in similar situations, as well as being able to help you maximize your compensation.
Long Term Medical Costs After a Texas Truck Accident
A truck accident in the state of Texas can cause a lasting impact on its victims, including physical, emotional, and psychological damage. If you or someone you know has been in a truck accident, you must plan for your future medical needs.
Your health and financial future are definite concerns, but with proper planning and the advice of a licensed Texas truck collision attorney, you won’t have to spend the rest of your life paying out of pocket for something that wasn’t your fault.