Your Rights If You’ve Suffered Permanent Disability After a Car Accident

Catastrophic injuries such as lost limbs can cause permanent disability after a car accident and affect your long-term quality of life. At Moore Law Firm, we know that dealing with a permanent or partial disability after a car accident is overwhelming. Our compassionate auto accident attorneys in Mobile, AL, can evaluate your case, help you understand your rights, and pursue maximum compensation for your damages.

What Is Total Permanent Disability (TPD)?

Total permanent disability is an injury, condition, or illness that remains after a person has reached the point of maximum medical improvement (MMI) after being hurt in an accident. Total permanent disability impedes a person’s ability to resume their normal work and perform other activities. If an injury occurred due to another’s negligence, that person or entity may be liable for the injured victim’s damages.

Types of Injuries that May Cause Permanent Disability after a Car Accident

Injuries that often cause permanent disability include:

• Spinal Cord Injuries — Damage to the spinal cord can cause paralysis or loss of sensation below the injury site, resulting in permanent disabilities such as paraplegia or quadriplegia.
• Severe Neck Injuries – Injuries to the neck, such as fractures or dislocation of the cervical vertebrae, can cause permanent nerve damage, chronic pain, and paralysis.
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – Severe head trauma sustained in a car accident can result in permanent brain damage and lead to cognitive impairment, motor function problems, headaches, depression, mood disorders, and other lifelong disabilities.
• Amputation – Losing a limb can have a serious psychological impact on injured victims and their families and require significant lifestyle changes, home modifications, and specialized care.
• Fractured or crushed bones — Extensive fractures to bones in the limbs, pelvis, or spine can cause joint instability, nerve damage, chronic pain, and other disabling conditions.
• Damage to internal organs – When vital organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, or kidneys are damaged, a victim can suffer long-term complications and disabilities.
• Burn injuries – Severe burns can cause permanent disfigurement, chronic infections, loss of function, and psychological trauma.
• Vision or hearing loss – Traumatic injuries to the eyes or ears can result in permanent vision or hearing loss or impairment.
• Chronic pain conditions – Nerve damage, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and other injuries can lead to chronic pain that substantially limits a person’s mobility and quality of life.
• Psychological trauma – Being hurt in a car accident can lead to long-term emotional and psychological trauma. Conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety disorders can have a permanent impact on a person’s daily functioning and ability to enjoy life.

Understanding Your Legal Rights after a Car Accident

Understanding your legal rights after suffering permanent or partial disability in a car accident is essential to protecting your interests. A car accident attorney can explain the rights and options that may be available to you. Depending on the circumstances, you may be entitled to:

• Monetary compensation for damages – If your injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future medical care. Your personal injury lawyer can help you file a claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company.
• Insurance benefits – In some cases, your own auto insurance or healthcare coverage can be used to pay for medical bills, wage loss, and other accident-related expenses. Adding coverage like MedPay and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to your auto insurance policy provides an extra layer of protection you may need if you suffer permanent disability after a car accident.
• Social Security Disability benefits – If your disability is severe enough to prevent you from working, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
• Legal representation – You always have the right to hire a personal injury attorney to represent your interests after a crash. A car accident lawyer can help you navigate the complex legal system, negotiate with insurance companies, and fight to recover the compensation you deserve.

If you suffered permanent or partial disability in a car accident while you were on the clock, an attorney can also advise and assist you with workers’ compensation claims and appeals, if applicable.

Don’t Accept a Settlement Without Speaking to a Car Accident Attorney

It’s never a good idea to settle a car accident claim until you’ve finished medical treatment, reached MMI, and are fully aware of the extent of your injuries. Future medical bills, nursing care, other injury-related expenses, and the inability to work can have a dire impact on your finances. It can be easy to underestimate the total physical, emotional, and financial costs of your disability. To protect your health and your family’s financial security, it’s vital to have a car accident lawyer assess your case and put an accurate value on your claim.

Permanent total disability claims are often disputed and denied by insurance companies. If they offer you a settlement, the amount may not even come close to covering a lifetime of medical expenses and lost income. Even if your healthcare providers have determined that you’ve reached maximum medical improvement (MMI) and your condition is expected to last indefinitely or lead to death, insurers will do everything they can to minimize your injuries and prove that you’re not permanently disabled.

A car accident attorney knows how to accurately value your claim, investigate all aspects of the accident, negotiate with insurers, and demonstrate how your disability has impacted your life, your family, and your ability to earn a living. If you or a loved one has been permanently disabled in a car accident, our team at Moore Law Firm provides compassionate support and tenacious legal representation every step of the way.

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Alabama

Over the last 40 years, Moore Law Firm has served more than 15,000 personal injury clients in Mobile, AL, and surrounding areas. If you’ve sustained permanent disability after a car accident, we fight to recover maximum compensation so you can take care of yourself and your family for the long haul. Call us at 251-445-7602, contact us, or use the convenient chat feature on our website to schedule a consultation with a car accident attorney today.