College Students & Car Accidents: Four Financial Impacts In A Settlement Case

Going to college often involves a complicated schedule that has a mix of classes, traveling to work, and traveling back home to visit family. Through all of these travels, it is unfortunate if you are involved in a car accident that results in serious injuries. Injuries caused in a car accident can have a dramatic impact on your life and create a huge change in your college plans. Along with the costs for medical bills and healing, there are four financial impacts that directly relate to college students. As you seek a potential settlement case for your injuries, it's important to break down these financial factors and work with an attorney to seek the proper compensation.

College Tuition

One of the biggest factors for college students involved in a car accident is lost tuition. The impact of a car accident may cause students to have to drop out of classes or take a semester off. If the car accident occurred in the middle of a semester, the injuries and missed school could result in a lot of money lost. Tuition for a single year of college could add up to more than $20,000 in some cases. An attorney can use your college bills and loan statements to help represent your case and seek the reimbursement for this wasted tuition.

Another impact that the tuition may have  is based on the delay of your college learning. For example, if the college plans on increasing the tuition in the next couple of years, you may have planned to graduate before those price hikes. If the accident causes you to still attend after the increases, then an attorney can help you seek compensation for the extra money that is needed.

College Boarding

Whether you're living on-campus or off-campus, the injuries resulted in a car accident can lead to big losses in your room and boarding. For example, if your injury forces you to drop out or take some time off of college, then you may lose out on money paid for a dorm room. Along with the dorm, you may have had money put towards a campus meal plan. If this money cannot be refunded, then a lawyer may seek compensation through your settlement case.

If you do take time off from college, you may be forced to move out of an apartment that was leased during the duration of the semester. As you heal through injuries at home, the money spent towards an apartment rental could end up being all wasted. An attorney can use leasing agreements and monthly rental fees as part of your settlement case.

Accessibility Equipment

For many students, after getting injured in a car accident, they will want to return back to college studies as soon as possible. To help with this, you may need to purchase a variety of accessibility equipment that makes it easier to get across campus or complete class functions. Kneeling scooters, wheelchairs, or crutches are just a few of the pieces of equipment that may be purchased. In class, you may need special keyboards or technology to properly take notes, complete work, or access textbooks. All of these costs may be included within a settlement case. Getting compensated for the various pieces of equipment can help you transition back to college life without a big burden on your person finances.

Transportation

A serious injury may limit your ability to drive to college on a daily basis. This could result in extra costs paid for bus transportation, taxi rides, or personal driving services. If you had not been injured in a car accident, these extra driving costs would not be needed. A lawyer can help you receive compensation for these costs and ensure that you can still travel to college through various injuries like broken arms and legs. The person at fault for the accident should be held liable for these extended financial impacts.

When working with a lawyer, it's important to look at both immediate impacts and impacts that change the future of your college life. This can change the total compensation of your settlement and help you finish college with ease.

For more information, contact a practice like Master Weinstein Moyer, P.C..