Two cars collide on a misty winding backwoods road. The night is quiet before, and the night is quiet after. The sound of a tree falling in the forest is inconsequential; if a car accident happens in the middle of the forest, does it make a sound? Does it have an impact? Though car accidents are self-contained, instantaneous events, their impact reaches far beyond that midnight trail. The government has policies and laws in place, insurance companies spend billions, medical establishments aid hundreds of thousands of accidents, yet this still only brushes the surface. The personal and familial impact of a car accident can often be the most trying, and a car accident settlement must keep those factors at the fore. Toronto personal injury lawyers know the difficulties for family members after a car accident, unwittingly forced into a career change, as they become caregivers for their injured loved one. Fortunately, a Toronto personal injury lawyer also knows how to handle a car accident settlement and secure funds so that your quality of life can remain the same.
Becoming a Caregiver: a New Chapter
After a loved one experiences a serious motor vehicle accident, they may just be a little shaken, or they may be completely different. If they’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury, it’s possible that they’ll require caregiving for months or even years. In the short term, professional caregiving can be a viable option, but if the injury is sufficiently severe, economics might force you to take on the role of permanent caregiver for your family member. Should your family be altered by a serious brain injury after a car accident, follow this advice.
Don’t Go it Alone
While, in the case of a spouse’s injury, you’ll likely be the primary caregiver, that doesn’t make you the only caregiver. For immediately family, hold a family meeting to arrange how you’ll work cooperatively. Then contact any other family and friends who you think would be willing to assist in care. Research has shown that the wider the support system, the better the outcome and reintegration into the community for you and your injured loved one.
Take Care of Yourself
Especially with long-term disabilities, caregiving can feel like a sentence rather than a compassionate act. Make sure you:
- Take time for yourself when possible;
- Don’t ignore any intense, negative feelings like depression, anxiety, or anger;
- Find a caregiver support group to learn from others in similar situations;
- Keep a regular schedule for yourself; and
- Educate yourself about the resources available for you.
Caregiving is only as valuable as the physical and emotional energy that the caregiver can provide. Don’t burn out; take care of yourself.
Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule
Ontario law requires insurers to provide for caregivers as part of a car accident settlement. According to the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS), anyone who has given care outside of the “employment, occupation, or profession in which the attendant care provider would ordinarily have been engaged” deserves and is due “the amount of economic loss sustained during the period while providing care”.
If the legal diction of a car accident settlement is overwhelming for you under the circumstances, contact a Toronto personal injury lawyer and get your free consultation as soon as possible.
Sources:
http://www.brainline.org/landing_pages/categories/caregiving.html
http://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/100034#BK19
http://obia.ca/caregivers-the-other-survivors-of-brain-injury/