At age 34, Jeremy had everything he wanted out of life – a beautiful wife, three healthy children, a nice house, and a flourishing construction business.

One day, Jeremy was driving home from a job when he was sideswiped by an 18-wheeler that had run a red light.

Jeremy’s truck was suddenly overwhelmed by the massive force of the vehicle, and flipped over numerous times. After recovering from the initial shock, he looked down and saw that his legs had been badly injured in the accident.

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Image courtesy of uberculture
Still alive, Jeremy was left with two broken legs, months to be spent in a wheelchair, mounting medical bills, and no one to run his business in his absence.

Because of the grueling physical nature of his work, Jeremy was no longer able to do the types of construction jobs that he once excelled in. And customers started leaving as a result.

Once Jeremy had recovered from his physical disability, his business and financial life were still far from back to normal.

There are a number of stories similar to Jeremy’s, all of which are testimonies to the importance of disability insurance in the lives of self-employed individuals.

Some of the main reasons to consider protecting yourself are:

  • It CAN happen to you. Whether the culprit is a car accident or a health-related illness, there are a number of unexpected ways in which a disability can occur. According to disabilitycanhappen.com, just over one in fourof today’s 20 year-olds will become disabled before they retire.
  • Protect your family.If your family relies on your income, it’s important to safeguard your finances for their sake. Without disability insurance, one accident or unexpected health problem could turn your family’s life from comfortable to a struggle.
  • Safeguard your business. For self-employed people, having a backup plan is crucial in case of a disability. Without disability insurance, it’s very hard for self-employed individuals facing a disability to maintain their business. With disability insurance, they can keep supporting themselves and their families while also investing in their business.

Finding a disability insurance policy is not only the right thing to do, but it’s an absolutely necessity. Especially for those who are self-employed.