If you have been in a car accident, that can be traumatic. Hopefully, you got through it without any major damage. However, some people are not so lucky. You might have some severe injuries you must deal with in the aftermath.

Picking up the pieces after the wreck will take some time and involve several steps. For instance, you will need to look into the process of wage reimbursement post-car accident. This is not always easy, but you must do it. You will probably require that money, especially if you can’t work for an extended period while recovering.

In this article, we’ll talk about how you can get back your lost wages after the accident, how you should spend that money, and what you should probably do during the recovery period.

How Can You Get Back Your Lost Wages Following a Violent Car Crash?

First, you should know that the process will vary if you’re trying to get your wages back after a car wreck. You must follow certain procedures in some states, but these will differ elsewhere.

Let’s use Pennsylvania as an example. In this state, you must file a personal injury suit against the individual who caused the accident. You must also establish conclusively who caused the wreck. If you can find some witnesses who saw what happened, that should help.

You might also see whether you can find traffic camera footage that shows what happened. In major cities in Pennsylvania, like Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, you will see traffic cameras around most major intersections. However, if you were out on some deserted back road when the accident happened, you might not have any camera footage.

This means you should get a dashboard camera. If you install one before an accident, it can come in handy later. If you didn’t have a camera when the crash occurred, you must prove the other party caused the wreck through other means.

How Do You Qualify for Wage Reimbursement?

If you want to get back lost wages that you can’t earn while you’re recovering after the wreck, you must establish the other driver caused the accident. You must also prove that you can’t work because of your injuries. That will require medical records that show you’re temporarily disabled.

If you’re a W-2 employee, you can show the Pennsylvania court system a doctor’s letter describing your injury status. You must also have a letter from your employer explaining what you normally do and how you can’t do it now.

You must also have a recent tax return demonstrating how much you usually make. You may need a bank account statement as well. The court will use all of this documentation when determining whether you’re eligible and how much money you should get. They must also figure out how long you should get that money. The extent of your injuries will determine this.  

What You Should Do with the Money You Get 

When you get that cash, you might feel you should go on vacation with it or do something equally frivolous. That’s your money, and you can spend it however you want. You should probably reconsider before you blow through that windfall, though. You will likely have significant expenses coming your way, and you must exercise caution unless you have a great deal of money in the bank that you can use as a fallback option.

You will likely have medical bills. Maybe you’ll need surgery after the car wreck. You may also need many months of physical therapy. You will probably have doctor’s appointments and specialist appointments. You may get X-rays or an MRI. You might need medication.

All of that will cost money unless you have an excellent health insurance plan. In most instances, you will have copays until you hit your deductible. If you have a high-deductible plan, you might not hit the maximum for weeks or months. During that time, your medical bills will pile up if you don’t have the cash for payment.  

How You Should Spend Your Time While Recovering

You should also think about how you can spend your time productively while you recover. You might spend your days lying around watching TV, but that’s not the best use of them.

Instead, think about what you can do to make yourself a more desirable employee when you can go back to work. Maybe you will continue at the same job you did before, but perhaps you can add some certifications while recuperating. You can beef up your resume that way.

When you return, you should feel strong in your mind and body. Maybe you’ll come back better than before. You might ask whether your boss has any openings that can get you better pay and a more prominent spot within your company’s hierarchy.  

What if You Will Never Fully Recover Following an Accident?

On rare occasions, you might discover that you won’t fully recover following a car wreck. In these situations, you don’t just need lost wage reimbursement. You must look into ongoing disability 

payments.

Sometimes, you won’t know whether you need this till after you get surgery or following physical rehabilitation. In some instances, doctors don’t know whether you can come all the way back. This sometimes happens with head trauma, spinal cord injuries, and the like. These situations only work themselves out after weeks or months.

If you find out the car accident caused permanent damage, you must sort out your finances, but you must also figure out how you can move forward mentally and psychologically. Perhaps you liked your job very much, and now, you can’t do it anymore. Consider whether you can do some other kind of work within your field with your reduced capabilities.

If you must leave that profession entirely, you should think about something else you can do. Presumably, you still have a long life ahead of you. Maybe some new path will make you feel productive and happy.