Some of the most common car crash injuries are relatively minor. Abrasions, bruises and soft tissue injuries are all conditions that require minimal medical care and will fully heal given the right support.
However, when there is a big difference in size between the vehicles and fault or very high speeds involved in a crash, the collision that results could cause severe injuries. Nevada only requires $25,000 worth of bodily injury liability coverage, and any of the three medical issues below would create costs that far exceed that baseline level of coverage.
Traumatic brain injuries
Airbags largely exist to protect people from head injuries and internal bleeding caused by collisions. Unfortunately, people can still hit their heads on windows and damage their brains due to rough motions during the collision even if they don’t experience any blunt force trauma. Traumatic brain injuries can require tens of thousands of dollars in trauma care and may lead to career changes that reduce someone’s earning potential.
Spinal cord injuries
Even incomplete spinal cord injuries that may respond to medical treatment will cost tens of thousands of dollars immediately after a crash and thousands of dollars a year for the rest of someone’s life. Complete injuries and spinal cord injuries higher on the spine are more likely to result in six-figure medical bills annually.
When combined with the likely impacts such an injury will have on someone’s earning potential and household contributions, spinal cord injuries can easily cost 10 or 20 times as much as the maximum amount of insurance available.
Amputations
Sometimes, the force of a crash is enough to sever a body part. Other times, crushing injuries may cause such severe damage to bones and musculature that medical professionals must surgically amputate because the tissue is beyond repair. Amputations require expensive emergency care, followed by extensive rehabilitative support. Prosthetic devices can limit the functional consequences of some amputations, but they will also increase how much it costs to treat these injuries.
You can protect yourself from liability for such expensive injuries by adding more liability coverage to your insurance policy, and supplemental coverage can help if the driver at fault has bad insurance. Taking the time to estimate the financial impact of your injuries and learn about your legal rights can help you if you suffer a catastrophic injury and a car crash caused by another driver.