Tips for Starting Over After a Personal Injury

Each year, millions of people are affected by personal injuries. Personal injuries include psychological, emotional, and physical injuries. Whenever a person is hurt in some way, they have sustained a personal injury.

Personal injuries can significantly impact a person's well-being and affect their ability to engage in regular activities, continue relationships, or pursue their current career. If you've sustained a personal injury, you may find you have to make significant changes in your life due to the impact your injury has had on you. Use these tips to assess your needs and start over.

Assert your legal rights

Turn to the WIN Injury Network for legal advice. The WIN Injury Network will provide you with a free consultation to assess your situation and determine if you have grounds to pursue a legal claim. Each year, in addition to the millions of people who sustain personal injuries in car accidents, workplace accidents affect 2.8 million people. People are also injured in stores, public areas, and their homes. Every person who has sustained an injury might have a legal claim if their injury resulted from another person's negligence.

Personal injury attorneys are legal experts who specialize in preparing cases for people who've been injured. An experienced personal injury attorney can walk you through the steps you need to take in order to protect your legal rights. They can help you pursue all appropriate claims to address your legal and financial needs.

Many people mistakenly think that legal claims only apply to individuals who've suffered a physical injury. Psychological injuries stemming from an accident or incident may also be grounds for a legal case. For example, some people who've been in car accidents develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individuals who've developed PTSD or an anxiety disorder may need long-term counseling and may have to make lifestyle adjustments due to their injury. Suppose you're suffering from emotional distress or a mental health issue. A lawyer may be able to help you pursue a claim against the person, institution, or business that caused your injury.

Access appropriate financial and personal resources

You may be eligible for benefits. If you were injured at work, you might be entitled to workers' compensation. You may also qualify for disability benefits if you have PTSD or another psychological condition following your accident.

Many organizations provide financial resources and services to individuals who are suffering from illnesses and injuries. For example, if you developed cancer because of exposure to toxins in your workplace, you may be eligible for financial aid. Some groups cover the cost of co-pays for medications while others transport patients to medical appointments. There are also discount prescription programs and clinical trials that can cover the cost of medical treatment.

You may also qualify for Medicare if you've lost your job as a result of your injury. A personal injury attorney may be able to advise you about the benefits you're eligible to receive. The federal government also has a website with information about different benefit programs.

Seek guidance from mental health professionals

Everyone who's suffered a personal injury can benefit from talking to a professional counselor. Whether you've developed PTSD or are having trouble sleeping at night, a therapist can help you identify the impact your injury has had on your life and develop strategies to cope with its impact. You may need long-term counseling, or you may be able to resolve your issues with short-term support.

You may also benefit from couples counseling or family counseling. It's natural to think about how your injury affects you personally, but injuries can also significantly impact other members of your family. Your spouse may want tips for becoming a better husband and may benefit from talking to someone who can help him understand your injury's psychological and emotional effects and how to support your recovery.

Retrain for a new career

Your injury might impact your ability to return to your current job if you had a physically demanding career. Instead, you may want to consider careers for logical thinkers or other opportunities that aren't physically taxing. If you receive a settlement from your accident, you may be able to claim compensation for career retraining. There are also government programs for adults who are retraining for new careers.

Your injury may impact your interests, and you may want to focus on pursuing a career that allows you to help others who've sustained injuries. You could opt to become an occupational therapy assistant or a physical therapy assistant. Occupational therapy assistants work under the supervision of occupational therapists. They lead programs with individuals and groups of people. The programs are designed to help the participants develop or regain fine motor skills and daily living skills. For example, an occupational therapy assistant may work with a person who's had a stroke to help them regain the ability to dress, write their name, and use utensils. Occupational therapy assistants need to have an associate's degree, and as of 2020, their median annual salary was $59,892.

Salary.com reports that the 2020 median income for physical therapy assistants was $55,900. Like occupational therapy assistants, physical therapy assistants must have an associate's degree. After completing two years of post-secondary studies, physical therapy assistants work under a physical therapist's direction. They lead patients through exercises designed to help the patients manage their pain and increase their range of motion. Physical therapy assistants may also help patients learn how to use assistive devices such as walkers and canes.

If you like working on computers, you could consider pursuing a career as a web developer. Web developers can also start their careers with two years of post-secondary training. Web developers design websites for their clients and perform routine updates.

You could also consider pursuing education and marketing careers.

Adapt your environment to your needs

You may need to make significant adjustments to your physical environment due to your injury. For example, if you've sustained a severe leg or ankle injury, you may not be able to navigate stairs. You may need to move to a rancher or a building with an elevator if you need to use a walker during your recovery. You may also be able to modify your current home. Doorways can be widened to allow easy access, and you can have contractors install handrails in your bathroom to enable you to stand and sit safely. If your injuries are permanent, you may need to have a walk-in shower installed.

Your mental health can also benefit from physical adjustments to your environment. If you're suffering from PTSD or anxiety, you may have issues sleeping or be affected by loud noises. Soundproofing can reduce external noises. Soundproofing curtains can also block out noise.

Change your routine to suit your needs

If you were affected by a car accident, you might find it stressful to continue driving. If you're suffering from anxiety attacks, you may opt to use public transit instead of driving yourself. You may also choose to pursue work from home opportunities to give yourself a chance to begin the recovery process before returning to your routine.

You may also need to adjust your daily routine to perform physical exercises that can help your body recover. You may also benefit from daily meditation and choose to listen to soothing music to help you relax when you feel stressed.