How to Help a Loved One Who Was Injured in a Car Accident
Hearing that a loved one was in a car accident is a terrifying thing. It’s natural to worry about their injuries and how the recovery will affect them. You may find that their injuries can take a while to heal. It’s also completely natural to wonder what you can do to help.
There are plenty of ways you can support your loved one. Here are some tips:
What Can You Do to Help?
There are myriad ways to help a loved one who was in a car wreck. Depending on their injuries, you may notice that they have difficulty leaving the house—they could have something like a broken bone or a head injury. You may consider taking on the role of running errands for them. This could include things like picking up prescriptions, grocery shopping, or being on call to run out and get them something when they need it. Your loved one will feel a great sense of relief knowing they have someone to help them get something when they need it.
Your loved one may also need help keeping up with their house, especially if they have children or pets. You could take charge of keeping the house clean. If they have children or pets, you may offer to help get the kids to school or afterschool activities, or make sure to walk the dog. Food is often a major concern because cooking three meals a day can get overwhelming. You could provide a dinner that your loved one can freeze and eat leftovers so they don’t have to worry about cooking every day.
Another major way to help a loved one is to help them with their calendar. They may need to go to doctors, specialists, or lawyers because of their injuries, and you could provide transport or arrange transport to these appointments. Scheduling and setting up appointments and keeping track of when they need to go will also provide a lot of help.
You can also be there as a source of emotional support. Your loved one may appreciate spending time with you. Talking, playing a game, or watching a movie are a few examples of how you can spend time with your loved one and cheer them up.
Your loved one’s accident may have been severe and they may be housebound for a long time, or have permanent changes that will make leaving their house difficult. This can take a huge emotional toll on your loved one. They’re going to need time to adjust to their new lifestyle, but it may be hard to remain positive and upbeat when they’re by themselves all day. You could arrange a small get together with close friends or family. This will show your loved one that you’re all thinking about them and they aren’t missing out on spending time with the people they care about.
An aspect you may not have considered is if another person is the main source of help for your loved one. For example, their spouse. You may want to think about how they can be supported as well. Taking care of someone is a fulfilling but exhausting job, and everyone suffers when burnout is involved. You could offer to take over for an afternoon or evening while the caregiver can get some time for themselves. It’s important for them to feel refreshed and energized so they can provide the best care for your loved one.
Pittman Roberts & Welsh Is Here for You
With all these options available, you will not have a difficult time finding a way that you can help your loved one after they’ve sustained car accident injuries. If your loved one’s accident was caused by negligent actions or decisions, it’s also important to remember that it may be possible for your loved one to take legal action depending on the circumstances of the crash.
Pittman Roberts & Welsh, PLLC is here to help with the legal side of the accident. Hospital stays, medicine, and home care can all add up. When this happens because of a mistake someone made that was preventable, the cost should not fall on your loved one. Get in touch with us today to schedule an obligation-free consultation.
