Can I Get Disability Benefits After a Car Accident?

Car accidents can result in serious injuries that may result in temporary or permanent disabilities that affect your ability to carry out your daily activities and resume full-time employment. For people who are expected to make a full recovery from their injuries within one year, short-term or long-term disability insurance can help tide them over financially until they're able to go back to work. People who have chronic conditions following a car crash that haven't fully resolved within one year may be able to qualify for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI or SSI).

No matter what type of disability benefit you're filing for, you'll need to provide comprehensive medical evidence showing that you have limitations that prevent you from working. Hopefully, you'll recover quickly from the injuries you suffered in the car accident and will only need temporary disability. But if you have lingering limitations, you should know what you'll need to successfully apply for long-term disability or Social Security benefits.

Getting Temporary Short-Term Disability After a Car Accident

Short-term disability insurance is a benefit—usually employer-provided—that allows injured workers to take several weeks off to recover from an illness, accident, or other disabling condition. Most short-term disability insurance policies pay a certain percentage (typically around 60%) in wage replacement while you're off work. However, there's usually a waiting period of a week or two before you can begin to receive payments. (For more information, check out our article on short-term disability insurance coverage after an injury.)

A few states, including California and New York, have public short-term disability programs that offer cash benefits for temporary disabilities. If you don't have employer-provided short-term disability coverage and you live in a state that offers temporary disability insurance benefits, you may qualify for wage replacement while you recuperate from your injuries. (More and more states are also offering paid medical leave programs for serious health conditions.)

Getting Temporary Long-Term Disability After a Car Accident

Short-term disability insurance usually only lasts for several months. If you've exhausted your short-term benefits but still aren't ready to return to work, you may be able to use any available long-term disability to support yourself in the interim.

Long-term disability policies can be temporary, covering up to 24 months of absence from work, or permanent, meaning you'll continue to receive payments as long as you're disabled. Many long-term disability providers require you to apply for Social Security as a condition of receiving payments. And if you win your SSDI or SSI claim, it's likely that you'll then have to pay back your private insurer out of any past-due benefits you're awarded.

Getting Permanent Disability After a Car Accident

TheSocial Security Administration (SSA) awards benefits to people who have a medical condition that keeps them from earning at or above the level of substantial gainful activity for at least 12 months. This one-year threshold—also known as the durational requirement—is the minimum amount of time that you must be disabled to receive SSDI or SSI. Temporary injuries that you completely recover from before one year has passed aren't considered "severe impairments" that can qualify for Social Security benefits.

Eligibility requirements for long-term disability insurance and Social Security benefits often overlap (although, importantly, they're not the same), and you can, in fact, receive SSDI or SSI benefits and long-term disability payments at the same time. But any long-term disability payments you receive will be reduced by the amount of your Social Security payments, so you won't be able to get more than what you'd receive in SSDI or SSI alone.

Long-term disability insurance policies typically require that you be unable to work at "any occupation"—not just your "own occupation"—to be considered disabled. Social Security works in a similar way, with benefits being awarded to people who can't perform their past work or any other jobs. (But claimants older than 50 may qualify for Social Security benefits even if they're physically able to do some jobs using the medical-vocational grid rules.)

If your injury is serious enough to meet a listing, you may get SSDI or SSI automatically, without Social Security looking for jobs that you can still do.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Common Car Accident Injuries

There's no one-size-fits-all disability determination for people who've been in a car accident, but some common injuries find their way to the desks of claims examiners who make the initial decision to approve or deny benefits. Below are some frequently asked questions about applying for disability benefits following a car accident.

Can I Get Disability for Broken Bones Sustained in a Car Crash?

It depends on how severe the fracture is and whether it's healing properly. A simple wrist fracture that has healed after six weeks in a cast probably won't qualify, but a complex fracture in your leg that has you relying on a walker or using a cane after one year despite multiple surgeries is more likely to be disabling. For more information, see our article on getting disability benefits for broken bones.

I Was Badly Burned in a Car Accident. Can I Get Disability?

Possibly. Burns can take a very long time to heal and can cause significant permanent or long-term limitations on your ability to move and function. If you've had severe burns, skin lesions, or soft tissue injuries (like muscle sprains or ligament tears), you might qualify for disability benefits. Learn more in our article on getting disability for soft tissue injuries and burns.

Do I Qualify for Disability If I Have Constant Neck Pain Due to Whiplash?

It's possible to get disability benefits for whiplash, though it's not easy, as whiplash injuries are generally expected to heal fairly quickly. But severe cases of whiplash can damage the joints between the vertebrae, discs, ligaments, muscles, or nerve roots. If you have medical imaging (such as an X-ray or MRI) showing significant damage to your cervical spine that causes you to experience chronic pain or mobility problems, you'll have a stronger claim for disability benefits.

I Was Diagnosed With a Traumatic Brain Injury After a Car Crash. Can I Get Benefits?

Head injuries aren't uncommon in car accidents, and hitting your head can cause damage to your brain. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can cause physical limitations like uncontrolled movements in your arms or legs or difficulty maintaining your balance. They can also affect your memory, concentration, and emotional regulation. If you're unable to complete the mental demands involved in even basic job tasks as a result of your TBI, you can qualify for disability.

After the Car Accident, I've Been So Anxious that I Can't Focus. Does This Mean I'm Disabled?

You may be experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the accident. People with PTSD often experience panic attacks, hypervigilance (a constant feeling of being on edge), and obsessive thoughts that interfere with their ability to work on a consistent basis. Have your doctor complete a mental residual functional capacity form detailing how your PTSD symptoms meet a mental health listing or rule out all full-time jobs to increase your chances of qualifying for disability.

Since the Accident, I Haven't Been Able to See or Hear Well. Do I Qualify for Benefits?

Sensory conditions such as vision loss or hearing impairments can form the basis of a disability claim, but only if they cause a very significant reduction in your ability to see or hear. You'll essentially need to be blind or deaf to qualify—a temporary ringing in the ears (tinnitus) isn't likely going to be disabling.

How Much Money Can I Get in Disability Benefits?

Short-term and long-term disability insurance payments are usually made based on a percentage (typically 50%-80%) of your average income. You'll need to check the terms of your disability policy in order to calculate how much you'll get in benefits should your claim be approved.

The amount you'll get in Social Security disability depends on whether you're eligible for SSDI or SSI. SSDI eligibility is based on your work history, while SSI is available only to people with limited resources. SSDI payments can be as much as $4,018 per month (in 2025), but the average payment is a lot lower, at $1,580.

SSI benefits are set by the federal government every year—$967 per month in 2025—and are adjusted annually to account for increases in the cost of living. If you're eligible for SSI, your monthly benefit will consist of this flat rate minus any countable income you have in that month.

What If Your Disability Claim Is Denied?

Whether you're filing for short-term disability, long-term disability, or Social Security benefits, chances are your application won't be approved right away. Fortunately, no matter what type of disability benefit you're seeking, you can appeal an initial denial. The exact steps you'll need to take to appeal will vary depending on the type of claim you're filing. You can learn more about the appeal process relevant to your claim in our comprehensive articles listed below.

• Appealing a Short-Term Disability Denial
• How to Appeal a Long-Term Disability Denial, and
• Starting an Appeal for Social Security Disability.

While you aren't required to hire a disability attorney to appeal a denied claim, it's usually a good idea. Your lawyer will know how to gather the right medical evidence to prove that you're unable to work, and can help get your doctors' assistance in writing medical source statements attesting to your disabling condition. Keep in mind that if you retained a personal injury lawyer after your car accident, they may not have experience in disability law, so it's smart to find a representative near you who knows how to handle disability claims.