The cost of a car crash is not always obvious. It can leave you with short-term and long-term costs. If an accident was not your fault, why should you pay for them?

Here are some costs you need to consider after a car accident:

• Damage to your car: Even if there is no significant damage, scratches and dents will reduce your car’s value if you want to sell it in the future.
• Increased insurance premiums: If you have to use your no claims bonus, you will be paying more from now on.
• Immediate injuries: Some injuries can heal quickly with little lasting effect. However, they can make your life inconvenient until they mend. A broken arm could mean you are slower doing your job or need to get up half an hour earlier each day to get ready.
• Long-term injury effects: It can take months or years to realize that your lower back hurts more than it used to, or that your knee twinges when it gets cold. These long-term effects of a car crash can affect the quality of your life.
• Medical bills: Whether you pay for your arm to be put in plaster or go to the doctor for painkillers a year later, medical bills can add up.
• Time off work: Time off work will cost you money in lost earnings.
• Pain and suffering: Car crashes can have long-term psychological effects. You may get nervous when driving; you may lie awake at night thinking about the child in the other car that died as a result of their mother crashing into you.

Do not rely on an insurance company paying out all the money you need. They will try to get away with the minimum. You may need legal help to ensure you receive the compensation you need after a car accident.