After a catastrophic injury, getting through a normal day may take more effort than it did before. Tasks you once handled on your own, such as getting dressed or leaving home, often require extra help or planning. Relying on others for those tasks can change how you manage your routine and how independent you are.
1. Getting around may take more effort
Moving through your home or community may become harder after a serious injury. A wheelchair, walker or other mobility aid could help you get around. At times, you might also rely on another person for support.
2. You could need help caring for yourself
Some injuries make it harder to bathe, dress or handle other personal tasks without assistance from others. A relative might assist at home, while in other cases, a paid caregiver may provide part of that care. Relying on someone else can reduce your privacy and control over your day.
3. Driving might become difficult
Loss of mobility can also affect how you travel. Your injuries might make driving unsafe or too demanding, so you may rely on family or accessible transportation. That change could make trips to work or medical visits harder to manage.
4. These limits may matter in an injury claim
If your Pennsylvania case reaches a jury and includes a claim for noneconomic loss, limits on your daily activities may become relevant. Pennsylvania jury instructions tell jurors to consider how your injury affects basic tasks and activities you did before the accident. Jurors also consider whether those effects are temporary or permanent.
Keep track of what changes
Consider noting which tasks now take more time or support from another person. Medical and care records could also document how those limits continue. For a serious injury claim, keeping those records together might help you explain how the injury has changed your day-to-day independence.
