What will it cost to make your home accessible after an injury?

When a loved one suffers a severe injury because of a car crash, many parts of your life may change. Who handles which responsibilities in your home, your overall household income and even how you use the space in your home will have to change.

One of the expenses associated with severe injuries that people often overlook is the need to retrofit a home to make it accessible. Your property will likely require substantial changes in order to help a loved one with limited mobility, reduced strength or equilibrium problems.

The costs associated with such changes may need to be part of your settlement or your claim for compensation. How much will it usually cost to make your home more accessible for a loved one with a disabling injury?

Different projects carry different price tags

The exact nature of the injury, the size and style of your home, and many other factors will influence how many changes you have to make to your property. For example, some people may install a stair lift, while others can reorganize the use of the rooms in their house so that a loved one can stay on the first floor.

The projects that you need to perform will influence the cost of making your house more accessible. Ramps, for example, typically cost just under $2,000 to install at your home. Adding an elevator will cost on average over $4,000. Overall, the average cost of making a house accessible for a loved one with a disabling condition is around $4,300.

Don’t forget about transportation when considering costs either

If your loved one is on the path to regaining their total independence and going back to work, they may eventually need to adapt a vehicle so that they can drive it with their injury. Adding hand controls or a wheelchair lift to a vehicle can cost anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars.

The cost of making your home and your vehicle accessible should influence how you respond to insurance settlement offers or how much you request when filing a personal injury lawsuit against someone who caused a car crash.

Talking about your needs and the collision with an attorney can give you a better idea of what options you have and what steps you need to take to get the compensation you need.