Compared to some of the injuries you could experience in a wreck in North Carolina, a broken bone might not seem that severe. After all, people break bones all the time and go on with their lives as though nothing major happened.
Although the majority of fractures heal cleanly and require minimal medical intervention, broken bones after a car crash can cause massive disruptions and financial hardship. You should be able to count on the insurance coverage of the driver at fault to cover your costs.
When will you have to worry about uncovered financial expenses from a broken bone after a crash?
When if the other driver doesn’t have insurance
It is possible to get into a wreck with a driver who doesn’t have a vehicle. There are thousands of drivers with lapsed coverage on their vehicles in North Carolina. If any of these drivers cause a crash, there won’t be an active policy covering them.
You could also get into a crash with a driver who only has the lowest amount of coverage required by state law. The state-mandated minimum of $30,000 of bodily injury liability coverage might not be enough to cover both your medical care and your lost wages in either of the situations below.
When your fracture is worse than usual
A simple fracture means that the bone broke in one place and the doctor can easily set the break. Occasionally, bones will break into multiple pieces or sometimes even cause traumatic injuries by forcing themselves through the skin.
Other people will discover that their fracture is worse than usual during the healing process. Rather than the pain going away as they recover, their pain continues or even gets worse, which could be a warning sign of a lifelong condition called complex regional pain syndrome. Unusually severe fractures can lead to more costs than a typical broken bone might.
When you work a physically demanding job
Broken bones usually take between six and eight weeks to heal in optimal conditions. Severe fractures and underlying medical conditions might extend how long it takes for you to recover. If you work in a physically demanding career like manufacturing or construction, going back to work may not be possible until you fully recover. You might go several months with no wages.
Recognizing that broken bones from car crashes can lead to big expenses can help you better handle an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
