Car accidents cause damage both to people and property. The property can be repaired or replaced fairly simply. However, damage to people, even if minor, can take a lifetime to heal. Unfortunately many injuries caused in an automobile collision cause permanent, irreparable harm. Certain types of impacts cause certain forms of injuries to the human body. Even minor, slow impact collisions can cause serious damage to the soft-tissues of the body. These cases, often referred to as MIST (minor impact soft tissue) cases, are fought hard by the nation's largest car insurance companies.
Spine injury from a car accident is the most common form of damage caused to the body in a collision. The soft tissues (discs) in the spine are not equipped to handle the jarring of a collision, even at low speeds. Automotive safety technology has come a long way with absorbant crunch zones and bumpers, but spine injuries still occur in most accidents. Trauma to the spine can result in herniated discs (a.k.a. "blown discs" or "slipped discs") that can require physical therapy, epidural steroid injection, and even surgery to repair. In the event of a spine injury, it is best to get the right diagnostic imaging to determine the extent of the damage. X-rays are commonly performed at the hospital, but without MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) the nature of a disc problem cannot be fully understood.
Car accident brain injury commonly results from head-on and broadside auto accidents. A brain injury can occur without loss of consciousness. Sometimes people refer to a "closed head injury" as one where the head is not visibly damaged, but there is brain damage of some sort. A closed head injury can cause all kinds of cognitive issues, including problems with balance, memory, everyday functioning. Brain damage needs to be diagnosed early and treated carefully by a specialist, usually a team of neurologists and neurosurgeons.
Other forms of catastrophic injury can result from almost any type of impact from a wreck. Aside from traumatic brain injury (TBI), other serious injuries can cause degloving of the skin, loss of limbs, or shattering of bone. Catastrophic injuries can require a lifetime of expensive medical care, including modifications to your home and nursing care. Economic recovery for future medical care is tricky, since most courts will not permit compensation for speculative future damages. It will take experienced legal representation to assist in obtaining this type of monetary compensation.
Obtaining compensation for all forms of injury caused by a car accident will be the job of your legal team. Believe it or not, it will also be part of the job of your treating doctors, who will have to back you up when it comes time to filing an insurance claim or injury lawsuit. Doctors must make a medical opinion as to whether the injuries you are claiming were caused, or contributed to be caused, by the auto accident. This is a determination that some doctors are not comfortable making. Make sure your treating physician is not scared of courtroom testimony.
Spine injury from a car accident is the most common form of damage caused to the body in a collision. The soft tissues (discs) in the spine are not equipped to handle the jarring of a collision, even at low speeds. Automotive safety technology has come a long way with absorbant crunch zones and bumpers, but spine injuries still occur in most accidents. Trauma to the spine can result in herniated discs (a.k.a. "blown discs" or "slipped discs") that can require physical therapy, epidural steroid injection, and even surgery to repair. In the event of a spine injury, it is best to get the right diagnostic imaging to determine the extent of the damage. X-rays are commonly performed at the hospital, but without MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) the nature of a disc problem cannot be fully understood.
Car accident brain injury commonly results from head-on and broadside auto accidents. A brain injury can occur without loss of consciousness. Sometimes people refer to a "closed head injury" as one where the head is not visibly damaged, but there is brain damage of some sort. A closed head injury can cause all kinds of cognitive issues, including problems with balance, memory, everyday functioning. Brain damage needs to be diagnosed early and treated carefully by a specialist, usually a team of neurologists and neurosurgeons.
Other forms of catastrophic injury can result from almost any type of impact from a wreck. Aside from traumatic brain injury (TBI), other serious injuries can cause degloving of the skin, loss of limbs, or shattering of bone. Catastrophic injuries can require a lifetime of expensive medical care, including modifications to your home and nursing care. Economic recovery for future medical care is tricky, since most courts will not permit compensation for speculative future damages. It will take experienced legal representation to assist in obtaining this type of monetary compensation.
Obtaining compensation for all forms of injury caused by a car accident will be the job of your legal team. Believe it or not, it will also be part of the job of your treating doctors, who will have to back you up when it comes time to filing an insurance claim or injury lawsuit. Doctors must make a medical opinion as to whether the injuries you are claiming were caused, or contributed to be caused, by the auto accident. This is a determination that some doctors are not comfortable making. Make sure your treating physician is not scared of courtroom testimony.
