When people think about injuries, they usually only think about the physical pain and trauma.
They may also think about the psychological effects, but, by and large, thoughts will remain in the somatic realm.
While pain and physical inconvenience will indeed be on the minds of those injured much of the time, there are other things that need to be considered. It’s not just the physical or psychological toll you need to think about – it’s the financial toll.
An injury can mess with your financial security more than you may think. Thankfully, you’re not exactly doomed if you do end up injured.
Keeping your finances healthy is possible; you just have to make sure you account for all the negative financial possibilities that come with an injury.
We’re going to take a quick look at some of the most damaging factors, as well as some suggestions on how they can be remedied.
Downtime
An injury may leave you unable to work, which will probably be the most obvious financial danger. How this downtime occurs isn’t always obvious; again, both physical and psychological effects need to be considered.
A broken arm will hamper your ability to type; that much is obvious. But pain may also leave you depressed or unable to concentrate, rendering you unfit for work. Your employer may be willing to help you out by providing different responsibilities, or even offering paid leave.
https://www.inc.com/ offers advice on convincing your employer to let you work from home if you think that will help you. In fact, there are some situations in which they’re obligated by law to help you out.
Compensation
Whether it’s compensation from your place of business because the injury was caused by company negligence, or compensation from an individual who caused the injury either accidentally or purposefully, there are few things that can better help you keep your finances on track.
Law experts such as the ones available at https://www.quittance.co.uk/ are instrumental in ensuring that the party at fault is held liable for your injury, and in ensuring that you get a monetary settlement that will help cover downtime and medical expenses. (There’s usually a bit more in there for your pain and suffering, too.)
Medical expenses
Medical bills can end up being the biggest financial problem that people with injuries face. You may think that countries with “free healthcare” are exempt from this problem, but this isn’t always the case; a lot of injured people end up having to go private if they want to ensure they receive the treatment they actually need, due to the rationing problem inherent in nationalised health services.
Again, seeking compensation can help alleviate the financial effect of these bills. But what if there was no party “at fault” for the injury other than yourself? This doesn’t mean you’re at the mercy of whatever the hospital decides to charge.
As http://money.howstuffworks.com/ highlights, there are several ways in which you can negotiate medical bills. You should also ensure there are no mistakes in your billing – hospitals aren’t exactly known for their accuracy in this area.
