Childhood injuries stemming from a fall, car crash or another trauma can be even more expensive than similar injuries in adults. Children need specialized health care, which often comes with an extra cost.
As if that weren’t bad enough, a child’s injury in a traumatic incident will often have lasting secondary financial consequences for their family. What expenses beyond the medical bills do your family need to consider when looking at insurance coverage and personal injury claims?
The psychological and educational impact of the injury
The longer a child requires medical care and the more pain they experience because of a traumatic injury, the greater the risk of long-term psychological harm is. Children often don’t understand what caused their pain or why they can’t play like they used to. They may need support in the form of therapy long after their physical injuries heal.
A serious injury may mean weeks out of school or even longer in some cases. Children may fall behind their peers or require tutoring and special educational support to keep them enrolled. Both educational support services and counseling can cost families thousands of dollars after a child’s injury.
Parental caregivers lose out on both wages and earning potential
When one parent has to stay home to take care of the child full time, they may sometimes be able to take unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Other times, they may have to resign from their job and temporarily stop their career. A gap of employment can affect earning potential in the long term while also eliminating a stream of income.
When your family tries to estimate the cost of an injury your child suffered, the medical bills can’t be the only expenses you include. You need to look at secondary expenses and future financial costs as well. An experienced attorney can help.
