Unfortunately, if you live in Albuquerque, your chance of being involved in a car accident is high. The city has a reputation for poor road safety, with most accidents occurring on just 24 roads. In 2021, there were nearly 14,000 road traffic accidents, leading to 112 deaths and 4,459 injuries.
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Car accidents can turn your world upside down in an instant. Even a relatively minor collision can leave you injured, your vehicle damaged, and your normal routine disrupted. Triumph Curiel, an Albuquerque car accident lawyer, explores some of the ways a car accident can impact your daily life, physically, emotionally, financially, and legally. Knowing what to expect can help you be prepared in the aftermath of an accident.
Physical Effects
The most obvious impact from a car accident is the potential for physical injury. Depending on the severity of the crash, you may suffer cuts and bruises, broken bones, and spine or brain injuries—according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), 18,000 people sustain a spinal cord injury each year in the US.
Recuperating from these injuries can be a long process requiring medical treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, or assistive devices. This recovery time will disrupt your regular work schedule, ability to care for your family, and participation in sports or hobbies. Even after physical recovery, you may deal with chronic pain or mobility issues.
Emotional Toll
In addition to physical repercussions, car accidents take a psychological toll. You may experience shock, anger, or grief over the traumatic event. Some common issues accident victims face include post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety while driving, and depression.
Reports show that over half of car accident victims experience PTSD. Your relationships with loved ones can suffer if you are coping with emotional trauma. Counseling is often necessary to process the mental anguish and get back to a healthy state of mind.
Financial Burden
There are numerous monetary costs associated with a car accident. Your vehicle may need body work, or mechanical repairs, or be totaled altogether, requiring replacement. If you are injured, ambulance fees, hospital bills, medical procedures, and prescription medications can quickly add up. While insurance covers some of these expenses, you will likely have out-of-pocket costs as well.
Being unable to work due to injuries also leads to lost wages. The financial stress can weigh on you during recovery.
Legal Situation
After a car accident, it is advisable to consult a car accident attorney regarding your legal rights and options. An experienced lawyer can handle communications with insurance companies, conduct an investigation into fault, and determine if you are entitled to compensation through a personal injury claim or lawsuit. This legal process takes time and paperwork. Your attorney can negotiate a fair settlement, so you receive the maximum recovery.
Having proper legal representation allows you to focus on healing while your lawyer handles the legal aftermath.
Getting Your Life Back
As this article illustrates, even a minor car crash can massively disrupt multiple aspects of your life—physical, mental, financial, and legal. With the right medical care, support network, legal help, and your own inner resolve, you can recover and return to normalcy.
Be patient with yourself throughout the process. While it takes time, most car accident victims eventually heal, rebuild, and get their lives back on track. With perseverance and the assistance of capable professionals, you can overcome the shock of a car accident.
