When you are injured due to another’s negligence in an accident, your injury claim settlement should cover all of your expenses and losses related to your injuries. These are known as compensatory damages, and they typically cover the following types of damages:
In a typical personal injury claim with your insurance company, the insurer rarely will consider the long-term effects of a serious, disabling injury. For example, if you are paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident due to a spinal cord injury, you will need special accommodations for the rest of your life. Insurance companies usually pay your current medical expenses, but rarely do they consider what a permanent disability means for future expenses.
Part of seeking compensatory damages in an injury claim is developing your claim to show the current and long-term damages you have and are expected to suffer due to the injury. If you are paralyzed and now in a wheelchair, you no longer can drive a normal vehicle. But if your life depends on driving, such as if you are a homemaker who has to run all the household errands and drive your kids to school and sports, you will need a modified vehicle in order to do so.
If it weren’t for the negligence of the liable party that caused your accident, you would not be disabled and, therefore, would not need the modified vehicle. So it is a reasonable request to make in your personal injury settlement that your compensation covers the costs of a modified vehicle.
Likewise, your home may need certain modifications to make it more wheelchair-friendly. This can include lowering kitchen counters and cabinets for easier access or installing a ramp at the front door instead of steps. These are also reasonable requests to make in your injury settlement because they are now necessary accommodations for your accident-related disability.
Home and vehicle modifications for disabilities are costly, and it’s rare that an insurance company will outright offer this type of coverage in your settlement. If you or your loved one was disabled in an accident and now requires special, medically necessary equipment or modifications to your home or vehicle, a Dallas personal injury attorney will be best suited to help you pursue these requests.
During your claim development, your attorney will help you gather the evidence and present your case for the modifications. You need to prove that if it weren’t for the negligence of the other party, you would not require these modifications because you would not have suffered a serious and disabling injury.
Dallas personal injury attorney Julie Johnson and her team at the Law Office of Julie Johnson, PLLC are here to help injured residents of the Dallas-Fort Worth area seek the full compensation they deserve in a personal injury claim. Contact us online or call our office today at 214-290-8001 to schedule a free consultation regarding your right to recovery.
