Feeling alone as I struggle was a terrible feeling. So here I am. Fast forward several months after surviving a horrific motor vehicle crash where you can find me attending treatments with my psychologist, attending an outpatient rehabilitation clinic, experiencing sleepless nights and terrible anxiety. I am struggling financially as I am still waiting to receive Long Term Disability (LTD). I was warned by several people that it was going to be a long wait but what I didn’t realize… was just how long. Personally, I had to wait thirteen (13) months before I saw any type of compensation. Yes 13 months without one dollar. How is that even possible? I paid my premiums on time for over 20 years and I was struggling financially as a survivor of a horrific motor vehicle crash by no fault of my own. I was completely shocked to find out that the insurance company took that long to determine if my injuries were significant enough.
Financial Set Backs
Once I was approved for LTD, I received retroactive compensation and within a few months time, the insurance company denied my benefits and cut me off completely. I found myself back on the rollercoaster that I like to call “auto cyclone”. As a survivor of a motor vehicle crash you need to prepare yourself for this to happen. You will not only find yourself struggling physically and mentally, you will also find yourself struggling financially. If you are denied benefits at any time after your crash, you need to contact a legal representative immediately. There are important deadlines from the moment you are involved in a crash to the moment that you are denied benefits. If you are not able to contact a legal representative yourself, ask a family member or friend to act on your behalf.
Surviving a motor vehicle crash is life changing in a matter of seconds in numerous ways. I was taken away by ambulance to a trauma hospital and once discharged home, I dealt with nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. I made arrangements for assistive devices. I retained a lawyer. I lost my vehicle. I lost some friends and I no longer found myself able to work. I was faced with numerous medical appointments and found myself a patient in a rehabilitation clinic. I was dealing with the harsh reality that insurance companies can be cruel and was feeling alone as I struggled. There were times that I did not want to get out of bed to face the day. I felt frustrated, defeated, vulnerable, angry and sad. It was so overwhelming and although I had great support at home and was attending treatments with a psychologist, I found myself desperately wanting to speak to a survivor of a crash that had also been left to face the same struggles as me. I began to seek out some sort of a support group in my area and I quickly came to realize that there wasn’t anything. Feeling alone as I struggle was not a good feeling.
Online Support Group
In 2016, I decided to create an Online Support Group for Motor Vehicle Crash Survivors. I took it upon myself to not only build the support I was seeking while I continued to take small steps in my recovery, but to spread it out to others who were in similar situations. Our online support group has close to 1000 members, a lot of them are either recovering from their crash or just starting to go through the process. I came to realize that once survivors of crashes (like myself) are discharged from the hospital, they really don’t have anywhere to reach out to other survivors. This group is strictly to provide members with emotional support while we recover physically, mentally, financially and legally. Although originated in Canada, the online support group welcome members from all over the globe and we encourage you to join us. Feeling alone as I struggle is now a thing of the past as I am now surrounded by support and so are you.
I am no expert in your road to recovery from your motor vehicle crash, but I am certainly an expert in mine as it is not simply about the seconds that it takes to survive a crash but rather the days, months and years that follow.
S. Dawne McKay is a survivor of a horrific crash that changed her life forever. Dawne shares her personal journey as a Crash Survivor Blogger and also collaborates with crash survivors as Guest Bloggers allowing them an opportunity to share their stories. Dawne is also the author of the book, “Talk Crash to Me – What to Expect After Surviving a Collision and How to Manage Your Recovery” which is available for purchase on Amazon.
