Many people here in Kentucky don’t realize the likelihood of injury after even a minor motor vehicle collision. Soft tissue injuries from a car accident can interrupt your life with immense pain and, in many cases, incapacitation.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a story that starts with, “I felt pretty good right after the accident, just a bit shaken up. I thought I hadn’t been injured and just went on with life. Four weeks later, I’m flat on my back in bed, missing work, in immense pain, and come to find out I was injured in that car accident.”
Unfortunately, failing to see a doctor after any motor vehicle collision can cause unneeded suffering, as well as the loss of the funds required to cover the costs of treatment, recovery, and missed work due to a personal injury from that car accident. The fact is that many injuries can take days, weeks, or even months before symptoms start to interrupt your life. If you don’t see a doctor within a few days of the accident, the responsible insurance company can say “you must have gotten your injuries somewhere else, and you’re just trying to blame them on the accident.” It will be much harder to successfully complete what should be a straight-forward and valid personal injury claim.
In the story above, it is quite common for a minor car accident to cause trauma to the neck and spine. There are small pads in between each vertebra in your spinal column. These “discs” (intervertebral discs) are like small, jelly-filled cushions. It doesn’t take a lot of force for a small, micro-tear to damage one or more of these discs. However, it can take weeks before enough fluid leaks out of them before the patient begins to feel severe pain and becomes bedridden. These soft tissue injuries from a car accident can interrupt your life, and you need to make sure you take the steps after any car accident to protect yourself and keep your options open.
If you are involved in any car or motor vehicle collision, no matter how light, it is important to see a trauma physician or doctor within 24 to 48 hours who can help to examine you and look for any initial signs of injury.
The soft tissues surrounding your back and neck and throughout your vertebrae are quite vulnerable to the forces associated with a motor vehicle accident. Many areas of the driver’s or passenger’s upper body endure violent force, often in multiple directions, within just a few seconds from impact. These forces can stress everything from your joints to ligaments, tendons, and brain. Many people don’t realize the brain is actually surrounded by fluid. The force of an accident can cause it to impact the skull, resulting in injury, even if there are no external signs of head trauma or concussion.
Soft tissue injuries from a car accident can interrupt your life, resulting in severe pain and discomfort as well as missed time at work. The long-term impact of these soft tissue injuries can include arthritis, chronic pain, and headaches for years to come. Any personal injury settlement must address all past, present, and future medical issues, expenses, and the impact of injuries on life in the future. The settlement must also provide compensation for lost income from work as well as fair compensation for having to endure your injuries and suffering, as well as recovery and the impact they will have for the rest of your life.
This is also why it is important not to speak with any insurance representative until you have seen your doctor and spoken with an experienced personal injury attorney.
We invite you to contact us via e-mail, schedule an appointment or call us today at (502) 509-1490 to get the important advice and counsel required to protect your personal injury claim and achieve full and fair compensation for having to endure and recover from your injuries.
