INJURY LAW FOR WOMEN

Increased Risk of Physical Injury

According to a study by the American Journal of Public Health, women are as much as 47% more likely to be injured in a car crash compared to men, even when wearing seatbelts. Car safety systems in most older vehicles were designed with a “one size fits all” mentality. In general, women are shorter and lighter than men. Women also tend to sit differently in vehicles than men. Consequently, women riding in vehicles equipped with older restraint systems (generally cars produced prior to 2008) are at increased risk of injury. Newer passive restraint systems address some of the differences between men and women, but women are still more vulnerable to physical injury in a crash than men due to their physical structure. Studies have consistently shown that women are significantly more likely to suffer a whiplash type injury in a rear-end crash than men.

Emotional Injuries

Swope Law pursues damages for emotional distress that injured women tend to experience after a crash. We understand the emotional toll that traumatic injuries can create. This toll goes far beyond a sore neck or a torn shoulder muscle. Not being able to pick up their children, play with their children, or interact in ways that they did before the crash can create deep emotional issues for women. The fear of injuring herself further is just one of many unpleasant side effects from being in a car crash, slip and fall, or other traumatic incident. Emotional damage can arguably be far greater than physical injuries. The fear of driving, or even riding in a car, can stop family vacations, school field trip volunteering, community activities, and many other moments.

Mental Health Issues

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, women are more than twice as likely as men to get an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Anxiety is a normal response to stress. Anxiety can be brought on by being involved in a motor vehicle crash. Quite frequently, women are in need of professional psychological care in order to prevent this anxiety from becoming disabling. It is a common response to the stressor of being in a car crash, but it is often ignored and left untreated leading to additional issues at home. Swope Law is keenly aware of recognizing these potential issues, addressing them, and getting injured women the help that they need to recover.

Child Care

Women frequently bear a greater responsibility for caring for children and maintaining the consistency of her daily life and the lives of everyone in her household. When the primary caregiver for a child is injured, the adverse impact on her life, and the life of her child, can be devastating. Oftentimes, an injured woman will put the needs of her child before her own. Difficulties locating child care can result in a delay in a woman’s recovery. In some cases, an injured woman may never fully recover because the needs of her family are put before her own needs.

Scars

Scars and other disfigurements affect women differently and more profoundly than men. Many men are proud of their scars, referring to them as “battle scars” or proof of their manhood. The overwhelming majority of women, however, fear scars and any type of disfigurement. A woman who must undergo a shoulder surgery, knee surgery, neck surgery, or other invasion into her body will oftentimes feel self conscious about wearing skirts, shorts, tank tops, and bathing suits. These are real damages that Swope Law will pursue for an injured woman.

Arthritis and Increased Degeneration

Post-traumatic arthritis is caused by wearing out of a joint that has had any kind of physical injury. These injuries have the effect of changing the mechanics of the joint, which make it wear out more quickly. Women’s bodies are designed to bear children, which means greater joint elasticity in the hips and lower back. When joints have less stability, they are more prone to injury. Hip pain is a common complaint among women in car crashes. Knee pain is another common complaint among women who have been involved in a car crash. If a woman has her foot on the brake while she is being rear-ended, there is a tendency for that leg to “jam.” Because women’s hips are wider than their knees, their knee joints aren’t aligned as straight as men’s. The alignment of a woman’s body, along with other biological and anatomical factors, puts women in a greater risk to be injured from a motor vehicle crash. This injury is also likely to lead to a higher risk of osteoarthritis later in life for a woman.

Mom’s Monetary Value

A recent analysis performed by Salary.com determined that the monetary value of a stay-at-home mom exceeds $110,000 per year and the monetary value of a working mom exceeds $60,000 per year. The services that moms provide to their families include laundry, computer work, housekeeping, cooking, day care, driver, janitor, personal shopper, and psychologist. When a mom is injured and cannot provide services to her family, someone else has to do it. We believe it is appropriate to pursue monetary compensation for a mom’s inability to continue to perform these services.