What Will Happen if I Don’t File a Personal Injury Claim in Bethlehem, PA?
When you suffer serious injuries in an accident, filing a personal injury claim can be critical for managing the physical, emotional, and financial consequences of your injuries. Serious traumatic injuries can have significant long-term effects, and making sure you have the financial resources you need for the future can be essential for managing these effects in the months, years, and decades ahead.
So, what will happen if you don’t hire a Bethlehem personal injury lawyer to represent you?
The short answer is, “Nothing.” If you ignore your situation, you will not receive the financial compensation you deserve. As an accident victim, it is up to you to assert your legal rights. The insurance companies are not going to do anything for you on their own, and if you wait too long, you will lose the right to take legal action.
Here’s What Will Happen if You Don’t File a Personal Injury Claim for Your Accident
Here is a more in-depth look at what can happen if you choose not to file a personal injury claim for your accident in Bethlehem, PA:
1. Your Medical Bills Will Add Up Quickly
One of the most immediate consequences of choosing not to file a personal injury claim is that your medical bills will add up quickly. If you have health insurance, your insurer might cover some of your diagnostic and treatment costs (though it also might not)—but, regardless, you will almost certainly end up with significant out-of-pocket responsibility. For most people, seeking coverage for their short-term medical bills is reason enough alone to take legal action after a serious accident.
2. Your Medical Bills Could Continue Adding Up for a Very Long Time
Along with your short-term medical bills, if you choose not to file a personal injury claim, you will be responsible for finding a way to cover your long-term medical bills as well. Accident victims who suffer severe fractures, burns, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other serious injuries can face a lifetime of medical needs. Over the course of years or decades, the costs of meeting these needs can easily exceed what the vast majority of people can afford.
Serious injuries can leave accident victims facing various other long-term financial costs as well. Prescription costs, the cost of purchasing medical supplies and medical devices, and the costs of making home and vehicle modifications are just a few examples of numerous costs that accident victims may need help covering—either now or in the future.
3. You Could Face Substantial Lost Earnings During Your Recovery
With many types of traumatic injuries, rest can be essential to recovery. With others, accident victims will have no choice but to take time off from work. If you miss work because of your injuries, this will add to the costs of your accident as well. Lost earnings are also recoverable in personal injury cases under Pennsylvania law.
4. You Won’t Receive Compensation for Your Lost Future Earnings
In addition to lost earnings, accident victims with personal injury claims can seek compensation for their lost future earning capacity. This is true whether: (i) they are limited in their ability to work; or (ii) they are completely unable to work due to their injuries. Similar to long-term medical costs, long-term lost earnings can be substantial, and recovering just compensation for these losses can be critical for preserving accident victims’ financial stability.
5. You Won’t Receive Compensation for the Day-to-Day Effects of the Accident
Beyond financial losses, traumatic accidents can leave accident victims struggling to cope with various non-financial losses as well. For example, many accident victims struggle with chronic pain and suffering. Living with pain on a daily basis can make everything more difficult, and, in many cases, it will prevent accident victims from enjoying the things they enjoyed before their accident.
Permanent scars can also serve as daily reminders of what happened, and many accident victims who have scars or who are struggling to cope with the psychological effects of their trauma find it difficult (if not impossible) to enjoy spending time with their friends and family. These are also losses for which accident victims can—and should—seek just compensation.
6. Eventually, You Will Run Out of Time to Change Your Mind
Some accident victims take a wait-and-see approach to filing a personal injury claim. They assume the process will be stressful and time-consuming, and they would rather not start it if they don’t need to.
Unfortunately, this can prove to be a very costly mistake.
Not only are personal injury claims subject to a strict statute of limitations in Pennsylvania, but conducting a prompt investigation can also be critical for protecting accident victims’ legal rights. Even if the statute of limitations for your personal injury claim hasn’t expired, if you wait too long to seek help, your lawyer might not be able to collect the evidence needed to fight for the financial compensation you deserve.
7. The At-Fault Party Won’t Be Held Accountable
Finally, if you don’t file a personal injury claim for your accident, the at-fault party won’t be held accountable. This means that the at-fault party is more likely to make the same mistake again. If you have a personal injury claim, seeking accountability is important for many reasons, which makes it well worth having an experienced Bethlehem personal injury lawyer on your side.
Discuss Your Legal Rights with a Bethlehem Personal Injury Lawyer at Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C.
If you are on the fence about filing a personal injury claim or have questions about hiring a personal injury lawyer, we strongly encourage you to get in touch. We are more than happy to help you make informed decisions about your next steps—and, regardless of what you decide to do, you will owe us nothing for our advice. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Bethlehem personal injury lawyer, call 888-777-7098 or tell us how we can reach you online today.