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The hardships associated with a personal injury

On Behalf of | May 28, 2020 | Firm News |

A personal injury can happen as the result of a car accident, an injury on the job, a dog attack, a slip and fall or due to many other situations. Every personal injury, though, whether catastrophic or somewhat minor, causes some form of hardship in a person’s life. 

Many of these hardships are surprising in nature and go beyond traditional pain and suffering. 

Emotional hardship 

An article on WebMD states that mental health problems present a real challenge for people coming back from a traumatic injury. One medical practitioner states that about one-third of people with a serious orthopedic injury suffer a major depression afterward. That number rises to half for people with a TBI. Many people experience a range of mental health symptoms that include worrying, feeling anxious, having nightmares and crying a lot. Physical symptoms may manifest in the form of headaches, stomach pain, fatigue or a racing heart rate. The article states that mental health should be a priority during the healing process. 

Financial hardship 

The Laborers’ Health & Safety Fund of North America says that workplace injuries affect families for many years. Financial impacts include reduced earning power and extra medical expenses. One case study found that injured workers earned 15% less in the 10 years following an injury. The study factored in workers’ compensation benefits, which only replaced about two-thirds of wages, though this number varies by state. The overall impact is that families often must deplete savings account to pay for treatments for chronic conditions. This combination of financial hardships can drag a middle-class family into poverty. A personal injury often includes additional factors besides the physical pain. 

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