Car accidents happen. They are an unfortunate fact of life where people on the road lose control, and they then crash. You cannot anticipate the behaviour on the road of other people, and you can only control your own actions while you’re driving.
Some car accidents are just fender benders; little knocks or bumps that may not even leave a dent in the car. Others have catastrophic consequences, and it’s not just a physical injury that someone has to worry about, but the emotional and mental injuries that are incurred as a result of the crash itself.
The one consequence that most people don’t think about is the financial impact of a crash. Even the most minor fender bender can set your finances back, especially if you break a part of the car or leave a sizeable dent during the accident. You also have to consider how your insurance premiums could go up and the fact you’d have to replace the car seats that the kids use.
Finances don’t just come into it for injuries, and getting the legal solution for personal injury victims is essential as part of your financial recovery after an accident. It’s hard to get back on track after an accident, especially if you have an accident that wipes your emergency fund in the process of trying to get back on your feet. Let’s take a look at the ways that you can help yourself and recover after an accident: physically and financially.
GET SOME HELP
After an accident, you need the legal solution for personal injury victims, which is to contact a good lawyer and speak to them about compensation if you were the victim of the accident. One of the very first things that you have to do after an accident is to consult a lawyer, as they are the people to speak to when it comes to understanding the damages you could be entitled to after you have the accident occur.
The best lawyers will be able to tell you how to overcome the barriers that your insurance company may put up, mainly if they are stalling on a payout. Hiring experts can be the very first thing that helps you in your financial recovery.
THINK ABOUT YOUR BUDGET
While you’re waiting for a settlement, you need to think about how your accident is affecting your existing budget. Look at your current expenses and work out where you can make some cuts. There’s every chance that the crash will have depleted your emergency funds, and this is why you have to go line by line through your existing budget and cut back where you can. This can help you to keep on top of your necessities without having to make cuts that aren’t sustainable.
PROTECT YOUR CREDIT
It can be very tempting to rely on your credit card after an accident or take out a new loan for a car to replace your old one. Doing this relies on your credit rating, and it will have a financial knock-on effect on the health of your credit later on. While you’re thinking about your finances, avoid taking out a loan to cover your debt payments or other household payments.
All it will do is ruin your credit. Instead, speak to creditors directly and explain your situation. Ask to reduce your payments to the very bare minimum just while you recover; you’ll be surprised how amenable they’ll be to that discussion! They value your honesty, so make sure you only agree to repayments you can manage while you’re dealing with financial difficulty.
ASK FOR HELP
We get that it isn’t easy to admit when you need help, but if you don’t ask for help when you need it due to pride, you’re going to find yourself in a financial hole where you won’t be able to get out again. Don’t get caught in a trap of payday loans, large bank loans and even credit cards, but you could ask friends and family for support.
If the job that you had before the accident allows you to work with an internet connection, find out if your boss would allow you to work from home. With a remote connection, you can continue to maintain an income even if you can’t get up and about. You can also set up peer-to-peer lending if you want to get some help from more than just your friends and direct family.
SIDE HUSTLE
If your boss cannot give you the income stream that you need, check out options for side hustles. Take up a hobby you know you could sell on, such as knitting or baking – particularly if your injuries allow you to do so. There are tons of ways that you can earn money out there in your spare time, and all you would have to do is use the internet for marketing yourself and selling your wares.
You may not have a ton of luck to start with, but if you have an enjoyable hobby that you love to indulge in, then you need to consider how you can maximise it while you can.
The point is that you don’t have to let a car accident ruin your finances, not when there are so many options out there to ensure that you stay financially secure while you recover. You deserve to improve in all ways after the shock and the damage an injury can cause, and if you take the time to learn how your finances can remain secure, you’ll have a better time healing mentally, too.
Your accident doesn’t have to deplete your resources, not if you are smart about how you can manage your finances while you recover. Take the advice above, get the right help and speak to the right people who can walk you through the right way to manage your finances and move forward with your life.
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