You have a great job, and your career is going exactly the way you want it to. The future looks good, and you see the potential for growth and advancement on the horizon. Suddenly, you are in a car accident, and you wonder how it may affect your career path.
Car accidents come from out of nowhere, and they can derail a person’s life in so many ways. You’ve been injured, and you probably need to recover. You are spending so much time seeing doctors as you work toward healing.
While your health and well-being should be your top concerns after an accident, it is understandable if you are worried about your career as well. The aftermath of a car accident can make it difficult to focus on career goals. You might not even be able to work for a time.
What are some of the ways a car accident can affect your career? Read on to find out.
Missing Time at Work
There is a good chance you will need to miss time at work if you are injured in a car accident. Depending on the injuries and the type of work you do, you could miss considerable time. Even if you can keep working while you recover, you might need to miss the time when you go see doctors or to physical therapy appointments.
According to The Barnes Firm, a car accident lawyer in Orange County, “Missing time at work is one of the most common forms of financial loss after a car accident. People often need weeks or even months to recover before they can return to work. Some people might never be able to fully recover and rejoin the workforce.”
Lost Income
For most people, time away from work will result in lost income. Most companies will not pay employees as they recover from car accident injuries. If the accident occurred while driving as a part of your job, you might be entitled to a workers’ compensation claim. However, most people will need to depend on disability payments if they are out of work after a car accident. Either way, you will live with a reduced income for a time.
Impact on Capabilities
People are injured in car accidents all the time. For the vast majority of these people, a full recovery is possible. However, there are some who never fully recover. If a person does not recover all their physical or cognitive abilities after a car accident, it could impact their career.
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In general, people who work physical jobs tend to be at greater risk in this regard. If you work a job that requires physical work, the loss of physical capabilities might end or limit your career. However, it can also impact people who have jobs that require knowledge or focus. If you suffer a brain injury that affects your ability to focus or apply your knowledge, it could have an effect on your career.
Stress & Anxiety
People often experience stress and anxiety as a result of car accidents. While the impacts might not be as direct as a physical injury, they can affect your work. This is especially true if you experience stress or heightened anxiety when you drive. If you drive to and from work every day, it can make the commute an added stressor. Even if it doesn’t stop you from working, it might affect your performance. If you have a job that requires regular driving, the issue can be even worse.
Opportunity Loss
When we talk about financial loss resulting from a car accident, so much of the conversation focuses on direct losses. For example, you might discuss a diminished earning capacity. Whether it is temporary or permanent, the loss is easy to see. However, there are financial losses that might not be as apparent. One example is the loss of opportunities in your career.
If you are out of work as a result of an accident, your career is on pause. During that time, you are not developing your skills and growing your career. You are also missing opportunities to sew yourself deeper into the fabric of your company. Along with that, your injuries might cause your bosses to pass you over for a promotion.
The Need to Learn New Skills
If you are lucky, you will be able to recover from your injuries and pick your career up where you left off. Some people might even be able to adapt their existing career path to fit their change in abilities after a car accident. However, there are some who need to learn new skills after a car accident. For many, the need to change course will be unavoidable. If that is the case, the best thing you can do is recognize the reality and make an effort to learn new skills.
No one wants a car accident to impact their career. The injuries are enough of a problem, and you don’t want to think about what will happen to your job. However, if you are in an accident, you might need to consider many of the career issues outlined in this post.