Your life can change in a lot of different ways after a car accident or personal injury, and while we do everything in our power to get your compensation for things like lost wages and medical expenses, not every aspect of your life has a clear monetary value associated with it. One such aspect is your relationship with your spouse or significant other. If this relationship has been negatively affected or irreparably damaged as a result of your accident, you can collect compensation. This is known as a loss of consortium claim, and we take a closer look at these options in today’s blog.
What Is Loss Of Consortium?
Sometimes when it’s discussed on television or the media, loss of consortium means that an accident has rendered one party unable to perform sexual relations with their partner due to injuries sustained in an accident, but there’s much more to the claim than just loss of intimate relations. If you are injured by a third party and it results in a decline in love, affection or your companionship with your spouse, you may have a consortium claim.
As you might imagine, it’s not easy to prove that the accident was the driving factor in your changing relationship. If you had been having marriage problems or had been seeking counseling prior to the incident, it’s going to be difficult to prove that the accident was the true cause of your split. That being said, we have a wealth of experience listening to our clients and putting forth a strong case that showcases that the accident was the driving force behind your relationship issues.
Stay At Home Parent Injury Claims
Another way that a loss of consortium claim can help a family in a personal injury lawsuit is if one party is a stay at home parent. For example, if you and your spouse are riding in a vehicle when you are struck by a drunk driver. Both of you suffer leg fractures but are otherwise fine. Both spouses will be able to recoup expenses for medical bills, but only the working spouse will be able to collect compensation for lost wages. That hardly seems fair, especially because you may need to begin paying for child care while you both recover from your injuries.
That’s where another type of loss of consortium claim comes in. If a stay-at-home parent or family caretaker is injured in a personal injury accident and can no longer perform some or all of their everyday duties, your family may be able to collect compensation for expenses you incur as a direct result of their injuries.
Considering that a recent report found that the cost of childcare for one infant for the year is close to $15,000, it’s easy to see how expenses can add up in a hurry if you can no longer provide care for your children after an accident. Minnesota injury law makes sure you’re not forgotten if you find yourself in this situation, but it’s easy to see how these types of benefits can get overlooked if you try to file for compensation on your own.
So if you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else’s actions or negligence and it has negatively affected your relationship or causes you to incur some related expenses, reach out to the team at Hey Workers to see how we can get you the compensation you deserve. For tough cases, you need a talented team of lawyers with decades of experience, and that’s what you’ll find at Hey Workers. For more information about loss of consortium claims, or to talk with a lawyer to see if you may have a claim, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today.
