When a vehicle crashes into a building, the immediate focus is on the physical scene: the shattered glass, the structural damage, the injured victims. But once the dust settles, another reality sets in. The financial and personal toll of this kind of crash extends far beyond what’s visible at the scene. Victims who don’t understand the full scope of damages they may be entitled to often settle for far less than they deserve.
The Physical and Financial Costs
The injuries sustained in a car-into-building crash can be severe. Victims are unprotected in ways that occupants of other vehicles are not—there’s no steel frame, no airbag, no crumple zone standing between them and a several-thousand-pound vehicle. The resulting injuries frequently require extensive medical treatment, and in serious cases, ongoing care for months or years.
Economic damages—those with a clear dollar value—typically include:
- Emergency medical care, hospitalization, and surgery
- Ongoing treatment such as physical therapy, specialist visits, and medications
- Future medical costs if injuries result in permanent impairment
- Lost wages during recovery, and lost earning capacity if you can’t return to work
- Property damage to personal belongings caught in the crash
These costs add up quickly, and they don’t stop when the victim leaves the hospital.
The Costs That Are Harder to Quantify
Beyond the bills and pay stubs, victims of car-into-building crashes often experience non-economic damages that are equally real but harder to put a number on. These are not secondary considerations—in serious injury cases, they can represent the largest portion of a victim’s total compensation. They include:
- Pain and suffering from the physical injuries sustained in the crash
- Emotional distress and post-traumatic stress disorder (common after violent incidents)
- Loss of enjoyment of life when injuries result in a life-altering disability
- Disfigurement or permanent disability and the lasting impact on a victim’s daily life
Insurance companies will routinely attempt to minimize or dismiss these damages. Knowing they exist and documenting them carefully is essential to recovering what you’re owed.
Why Full Compensation Matters
These cases frequently involve multiple insurance policies—the driver’s auto coverage, the property owner’s commercial liability policy, and potentially others. Navigating those layers without legal representation puts victims at a significant disadvantage. Insurance companies are experienced negotiators whose goal is to settle claims quickly and cheaply.
The Law Offices of Tim Misny can help you with your accident claim. When a negligent driver crashes into the building you’re in and turns your life upside down, I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call my office at (877) 614-9524 so I can evaluate your case right away.
