If you get surgery after being involved in an accident or suffering an injury due to someone else’s negligence, the compensation you win could be dramatically increased. This is because the more significantly your injuries have affected your life, the more your claim is worth.
The liable party can be ordered to compensate you for every medical expense and all the other ways your life has been affected by the injuries you sustained. This might include the cost of your prescription medications, co-pays, hospital stay, and ongoing physical therapy. Your personal injury attorney can help you review your damages in detail to ensure you understand the value of your claim and the types of damages you deserve.
The Value of Your Injury Claim Settlement After Surgery
The cost of medical care in the United States is astronomical. Even initially, minor injuries cost victims thousands of dollars or more. When your injuries require surgical intervention, your healthcare expenses will rapidly increase.
In fact, it is not unusual for necessary surgeries to wind up costing tens of thousands of dollars when you include the cost of your hospital stay, prescription drugs, and the type of surgery you underwent. Thankfully, when you take legal action against the liable party, your insurance, and civil claims can recover every medical expense related to your surgery and injuries. Some of the top costs that could be recouped include:
- Your inpatient hospital stay
- Cost of follow-up care
- The cost of your surgery
- Anesthesiologist fees
- Outpatient patient services
- Ongoing physical or occupational therapy
- Costs of medical equipment, including prosthetic limbs, medical devices, and wheelchairs
- The cost of making accommodations to your home, such as installing wheelchair ramps or widening doorways
It is also important to remember that post-surgery treatments and potential complications may arise as you receive the medical attention you need. When this happens, the liable party and their insurance company should also take care of these costs.
Other Damages You Could Recover Due to Your Surgery
In addition to the costs related to your surgery and medical treatment, you have the right to be made whole for emotional damage if someone else is to blame for causing your accident or subsequent injuries. This means the liable party should be ordered to repay you for every loss, not only your medical bills.
Other expenses you could recover as part of your personal injury claim include:
- Emotional distress
- Personal property damages
- Costs of vehicle repairs or replacement fees
- Loss of employment-related benefits, including wages, health insurance, retirement savings contributions, and tips
- Physical pain and suffering
- Disfigurement and skin scarring
- Funeral and burial expenses if you lost a loved one to fatal injuries
How Your Lawyer Calculates the Value of Your Claim
Your personal injury lawyer will be responsible for calculating the value of your damages so we can maximize the compensation you win. Some of the factors we will take into account when calculating the value of your claim include the following:
- How much time you had to take off from work
- Your medical diagnosis
- The anticipated future impact of your injuries
- Whether you are capable of completing daily living activities
- Your mobility and functionality
Your lawyer will need to consider the impact of your injuries on your life and finances when determining how much compensation to seek throughout an insurance claim or civil lawsuit. However, ultimately, our goal is to maximize the compensation you win, so you are not stuck dealing with any of the financial implications of someone else’s reckless or negligent actions.
Options for Recovering Compensation After an Injury
You could recover the compensation you deserve after surgery and the accident that caused your injuries in several ways. Many victims will start by filing a claim with the insurance company. In some instances, you might file a claim with the liable party’s insurer, while others may allow you to file a claim with your insurance company.
It depends on the fault laws in your state and whether you have no-fault insurance coverage. However, while the insurance company might cover your surgical costs and other medical expenses, it will almost certainly not cover other types of damages.
This means you could have a variety of losses the insurance company is not required to cover. Furthermore, your settlement may only cover your medical expenses up to the highest coverage purchased by the policyholder. This means if your medical fees and surgery costs are more significant than the policyholder’s coverage, you will be stuck with damages the insurer does not cover.
Fortunately, you may have alternative options when this happens, such as bringing your personal injury claim to trial. In court, you are not limited in the way you are when you file a claim with the insurance company. Your personal injury lawyer will go over all of your legal options so you can better understand your opportunities for total financial relief.
How Long You Might Wait to Receive Your Injury Settlement
It may take longer than expected for your personal injury settlement to be resolved. Your attorney can work with your healthcare providers and the hospital billing department to hold off on your payments until your settlement comes in. That way, you do not wind up having your accounts sent to collections which could devastate your credit report and score.
After reviewing the specific details of your case, your personal injury attorney can give you a better idea of whether it will be several weeks, months, or longer before your settlement for your medical expenses comes in. Sometimes, the insurance company may require you to wait for payment until you have reached maximum medical improvement. Other times, we can request compensation for anticipated damages and access your settlement funds sooner.
Meet with a Personal Injury Lawyer for Help Today
When you require surgery to address an injury you suffered in an accident caused by another party, you have the right to complete coverage of these costs. With help from your experienced personal injury lawyer at Shelly Leeke Law Firm, you can make the liable party pay for every medical expense and all the other losses you experienced due to their reckless or negligent actions.
When you are ready to get started on your insurance and civil claims, do not hesitate to contact our team to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. Fill out our online contact form or call our office to take advantage of this opportunity today.
