When a serious car accident leaves your spouse injured, the impacts can be broad and far-reaching—not only for your spouse but for your whole family. Aside from the immediate physical damage that must be fixed, trauma of this sort can affect your family’s finances, routine, mental/emotional health and even internal relationships.
Please don’t be overwhelmed by all that you’ll need to consider in the upcoming weeks and months—we’re going to help you address these issues in the pages ahead. We present the list only to provide a 10,000-foot view of the situation and what you’ll need to tconsider—but you certainly won’t have to think about everything at once.
Questions to Consider Following the Accident
- What can you do to help your spouse heal? How do you follow up with their doctors and the hospital to ensure they’re getting the best possible medical care? How do you deal with a bad prognosis? How do you make sure you have all the important medical records and receipts for your future case?
- Who will deal with the home front? If you have children, who will pick up the slack from your spouse’s absence? Who will take them to/pick them up from school, soccer, etc.? Who will take care of meals, chores, pets and upkeep?
- How will you maintain your business or career? Some lost work time is to be expected, but you’ll still need a consistent income stream for the weeks and months ahead. How do you negotiate with your boss or clients for the time off you need?
- What will be the psychological toll? How will your spouse mentally and emotionally deal with the trauma of the injury? How will you? How will the kids? What can you do to promote recovery in this area?
- How will this affect your spousal relationship? How do you resolve differences if you disagree on proper next steps, legal and otherwise? How might this event aggravate other existing problems (e.g., pre-existing financial struggles or marital discord)?
- What if there is lasting or permanent damage? How do you deal graciously with a prolonged disability? What if your spouse’s personality changes after the crash?
- How do you make sure you have the compensation you need? What should you look for in an attorney? How do you deal with the insurance company? Should you negotiate or litigate? How do you determine what is a fair settlement? How do you keep from asking for too little or too much?
The aftermath of a serious accident can have huge repercussions for your family—but we’re going to help you navigate the path ahead by addressing these issues. In the meantime, if you need effective legal representation for an injured spouse, call us at 678-310-2827 for a free evaluation.
