No one expects and accident. And no matter how much health insurance you have, it always comes as a shock. The very first and only consideration after an accident is surviving. There is no time to worry about the car, or your job, or the vacation you have already paid for but won’t be able to take. Just worry about getting better.
Once you know you will be okay, the real test of survival begins. All of those issues you didn’t worry about immediately following the accident start to loom large. The good news is there is a way forward. Here is what you need to know for surviving the effects of an accident:
It’s Okay to Get a Loan
Accidents are expensive. How expensive it is is directly proportionate to the severity of the accident. A broken arm might cost you a little time off work. Depending on what you do for a living, it might not cost you even that. If the accident effects a leg or a spine, you might not be able to return to work at all. That is when things get expensive.
There is a good chance you will run out of savings before you settle into something that resembles a new normal. There is also a good chance bad credit won’t stop you from getting an emergency loan. You will need that loan to cover a lot of expenses no one expects to have to pay.
Car insurance might not cover the total cost of your car. If it was the family car, you will need a new one, plus the payments you still have to make on the one that was totaled. It is very hard to make a payment on a car you no longer have.
You might think you have a healthy savings account. But how long will that last if you have to make mortgage payments with no income coming into the home for a protracted period of time? Post accident is not the time to worry about debt. Get a loan that will get you back in action.
Don’t Short-Cut Rehabilitation
Your road to recovery is very likely going to go through physical therapy. You can’t come back from some injuries on your own. And you are going to have to do more than one or two weeks worth of therapy. In most cases, a full recovery requires a full regimen of therapy.
The same goes for other orders you get from the doctor. If he puts you in a brace for 6 weeks, don’t take it off after three without consulting the doctor. One of the major reasons people fail to fully recover is because they short-cut the treatment. Don’t be that person.
Accept Help
No one accomplishes any hard thing alone. And recovering from an accident is a really hard thing, physically and financially. Now is the time to call in family and friends. Let the church members bring you casseroles as long as they are willing. Accept help when someone holds the door. Recovering from a serious accident is not the time to display your rugged independence.
The most important thing is to stay optimistic. Any doctor will tell you that a positive attitude is crucial for recovery. Start your road to recovery by locking down the finances you will need to get through. Stay true to your treatment program. And accept help from the people who are a part of all of your great accomplishments.
