Experiencing pain after a car accident? Learn how to maximize your recovery.
Key Points
- Back and neck injuries are common after a car accident
- Injuries range in location and severity, and even minor pain can require extensive or prolonged treatment
- Insurance offers are made early before treatment can be completed, and thus could be much lower than the overall cost of your recovery
- Our attorneys can advise you on what your claim might be worth and can arrange for your medical bills to be paid after settlement
Muscle soreness and spasms are a leading complaint after a car accident, and they can creep up hours or days afterward. But you’re not injured enough to need an attorney, right? Well, you might be. You don’t have to suffer extreme injuries to benefit from a personal injury claim. While every scenario is unique, we see some common concerns following an accident.
Whiplash. The sudden back-and-forth movement your spine endures upon impact can damage muscles, tendons, spinal discs, and nerves. Many people are familiar with the most common symptoms of neck pain and stiffness, though neck injury also can feel like: pain or numbness in your arms or hands, dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, problems falling asleep or staying awake, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and more. Treatment might include ice, pain relievers, gentle exercises, chiropractic care, and physical therapy. While many recover after a few weeks or months, recovery is longer for some.
Back strains. Particularly in the lumbar (lower) spine, an accident can cause muscle spasms and tendon injuries in the back. This has to do with the way tendons and ligaments are stretched as your body moves through impact. Treatment often will be similar to approaches used in whiplash recovery.
Spinal disc injury. The unique structure of the spine leaves it vulnerable to disc injuries in an accident, most notably bulging discs or fractures in the lumbar or cervical spine (neck). This can effect the nerves and muscles in your back. Symptoms of disc injury might include muscle spasms, sharp pain or discomfort when walking or sitting, tingling and numbness in your arms and legs, burning sensation in the back or down the legs.
Muscle soreness and spasms are a leading complaint after a car accident, and they can creep up hours or days afterward. But you’re not injured enough to need an attorney, right? Well, you might be. You don’t have to suffer extreme injuries to benefit from a personal injury claim. While every scenario is unique, we see some common concerns following an accident.
Whiplash. The sudden back-and-forth movement your spine endures upon impact can damage muscles, tendons, spinal discs, and nerves. Many people are familiar with the most common symptoms of neck pain and stiffness, though neck injury also can feel like: pain or numbness in your arms or hands, dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, problems falling asleep or staying awake, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and more. Treatment might include ice, pain relievers, gentle exercises, chiropractic care, and physical therapy. While many recover after a few weeks or months, recovery is longer for some.
Back strains. Particularly in the lumbar (lower) spine, an accident can cause muscle spasms and tendon injuries in the back. This has to do with the way tendons and ligaments are stretched as your body moves through impact. Treatment often will be similar to approaches used in whiplash recovery.
Spinal disc injury. The unique structure of the spine leaves it vulnerable to disc injuries in an accident, most notably bulging discs or fractures in the lumbar or cervical spine (neck). This can effect the nerves and muscles in your back. Symptoms of disc injury might include muscle spasms, sharp pain or discomfort when walking or sitting, tingling and numbness in your arms and legs, burning sensation in the back or down the legs.
Key Points
- Back and neck injuries are common after a car accident
- Injuries range in location and severity, and even minor pain can require extensive or prolonged treatment
- Insurance offers are made early before treatment can be completed, thus could be much lower than the overall cost of your recovery
- Our attorneys can advise you on what your claim might be worth and can arrange for your medical bills to be paid after settlement
Is the insurance company handling your claim fairly?
Gary’s an insurance adjuster. A claim comes across his desk, and it appears his customer rear-ended another driver (you) at an intersection. One of Gary’s first actions is to find out if you or anyone else in your vehicle was injured. In this case, you were riding alone and went to an urgent care center following the accident for neck pain and a headache. This suggests to Gary there were soft tissue injuries, and he’ll use that prediction to calculate a possible amount he can expect to pay for your injuries. He determines based on what he knows that $1,000 is a reasonable offer and tells you they’ll cut a check right away if you agree to this amount. There’s a big drawback with this approach…
The problem is Gary made that calculation based on the facts of today, and that could leave out long term effects of your injury or advanced treatments needed but not yet known. He knows this and is hoping you’ll take the offer. It’s a much better and lower cost option for the insurance company. However, you can’t know this early how much an injury will cost you longer term both in medical and service bills as well as physical hardships suffered in your day-to-day activity. Injuries which seem minor at the time – perhaps a stiff neck and a weekend laid up on the couch – might have more detrimental effects over time.
You might find you have trouble engaging in the daily activities you love following your accident. You might seek out physical therapy or chiropractic adjustments to ease various pains or muscular imbalances caused by the accident, and those can eat into your pocket. There’s a way to protect yourself for unforeseen long-term effects. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney who understands common long term treatment needs, assists with coordinating and documenting your treatments, and pushes insurance companies to make you whole can result in a larger recovery amount than the original offer you receive.
Determine the potential of your personal injury claim
The best way to know for sure whether you have a strong personal injury claim is to speak to an experienced attorney. You shouldn’t have to pay for an initial consultation; and if an attorney agrees to pursue your claim, you shouldn’t have to pay legal fees until your case is settled.
At Vrana Law Firm, we guarantee you’ll get a free, no obligation with one of our attorneys. Not an intake specialist. We can work with your medical providers to ensure you don’t owe treatment fees until you receive your recovery from the insurance company, and we only charge a percentage of your settlement earned after you are paid. Contact us to set up your free attorney consultation at our Tempe office, or by phone.
