Regardless of your age or health, a car accident can leave you with devastating injuries that completely reshape the way you live your life. They can take away your mobility and your mental health, either of which can leave you with an extensive need for care at a time when you’re unable to work. All of this stress can be completely overwhelming, leaving you uncertain of where to turn for help in your time of need.
As worrisome as that can be, elderly motorists are more susceptible to car accident injuries, putting them at an increased risk of suffering the worst outcomes after being struck by a negligent driver. Let’s take a closer look at the dangers posed to these drivers.
The risks posed to elderly drivers
In 2020 alone, nearly a quarter of a million elderly individuals were injured in a car accident. This is somewhat understandable when you look at the statistics, which show that nearly a third of all drivers are considered to be seniors, and two-thirds of them are involved in a wreck at some point.
But the results of an accident involving these individuals are often tragic. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that more than 6,500 died in these accidents in 2020. Even those elderly drivers who are lucky enough to survive their crash can face more serious injuries compared to younger drivers given their more fragile state. As a result, older motorists often suffer the following injuries:
- Broken bones
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash
- Internal damage to organs
- Sprains and strains
- Severe lacerations
Even though these injuries can also be suffered by young drivers, older motorists can be more susceptible them, and their recovery time can be much more significant. Additionally, what could be a less severe injury in a younger motorists could lead to complications in an older victim.
Don’t forget about financial harms
Recovering from accident injuries can be costly regardless of your age. But if you’re older, then the impact of your accident injuries can be more severe. You might be retired, meaning that your insurance coverage may be limited, and you might not have additional income that you can rely upon like those who have accumulated paid time off from their jobs do. And, if your recovery is going to take a significant amount of time, then you might be left in a difficult financial predicament where your medical expenses and rehabilitation costs quickly eat into your savings.
What are you to do after being injured in one of these wrecks?
Although you’re dealing with a lot right now, you don’t have to sit there and accept the fate that’s befallen you. Instead, you can consider aggressively pursuing a personal injury case which, if successful, could lead to the recovery of the compensation that you need.
If you’re worried about how to make ends meet while a lawsuit is pending, though, then you might want to consider talking to your medical provider to see if they can hold off on collecting debt until your lawsuit resolves. You can also turn to friends and family for help, and you can even consider utilizing a lawsuit loan if you think that’s right for you.
Be prepared to advocate for the outcome that you want
In the end, though, if you want to find accountability and recover compensation, then you need to be ready to aggressively litigate your case. That can be a daunting thought, especially when you’re trying to figure out how to recover from your injuries.
But that’s why now is the time to start thinking through your strategy and what you need to support you throughout the process. Hopefully then you’ll be better positioned to secure accountability and recover the compensation that you need.