Four Common Car Accident Injuries And The Medical Care You'll Need
Posted on: 13 December 2017
While it's certainly true that particularly bad car accident injuries can leave lasting scars and require serious medical care, there are far more common medical injuries that can still be serious and show up days or even months after the smoke clears. Here are four of the most common car accident injuries and a brief description of the medical care you'll need if you find yourself suffering from them.
Back Injuries
Back injuries include everything from a fractured spine to soft tissue damage. Disc dislocations and sprains can typically be repaired with little more than supportive care or the application of some orthotics. Acupuncture and chiropractic treatment can help reduce muscle tension and pressure, too. More serious injuries, such as chronic back pain and serious broken bones, can result in long term reductions in mobility and may be life changing. These injuries typically require surgery and physical therapy to correct. They can be painful and lead to a degraded life. Get in contact with a lawyer who can set you up with a good chiropractor and put your bills on a medical lien.
Broken Bones
Broken bones almost always require emergency care and can require advanced surgical care for treatment. How bones break, whether they remain in one piece, and where the bones that break are located in the body are all factors that are considered by your doctor when deciding whether a brace, cast, or surgical repair is required. Broken bones can lead to serious infections or require metal plates for repair. These plates can lead to lifetime complications and result in limited limb use.
What is unexpected by most car accident victims is the number of leg and knee injuries that car accident victims typically suffer. Broken bones in the lower body can require body casting, surgery, and other mobility limiting treatments. The breaking of minor bones, such as those in the toes, can be painful and have no effective treatment beside waiting for the injury to run its course. Your lawyer will advise you to seek out thorough documentation for broken bones as well as to find out whether you might need surgery or ongoing care.
Neck Pain
Few injuries can be as serious as neck pain. Not only does neck pain limit your mobility, it can also be an early symptom of a far more serious injury. Whiplash is one of the most common car accident injuries that a car accident attorney sees. It happens whenever your head is suddenly moved in a direction and results from the pressure that is placed on your neck's ligaments. Sprains, strains, and other soft-tissue injuries that limit mobility and cause pain are the immediate result of whiplash. The good news for those suffering from this injury? Most cases of whiplash will resolve themselves over time. Chiropractic care and acupuncture can reduce short-term symptoms and cause relief of pain and mobility limits for some patients.
However, a more serious form of neck pain is a herniated disc, which means that a disc has bulged or cracked in the neck. That is a permanent change in the structure of the neck, for which your lawyer will advise you to seek out ongoing care including physical therapy and chiropractic services. Orthopedic service may be needed too. In some cases, nerve blocks or even surgerywill be performed, and this increases the value of your case.
Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries and concussions are very common in any car accident. Concussions happen whenever the brain is shaken inside the skull. The brain can impact the inside of the skull whenever your head is slammed into a hard surface, like a window. A typical, low-grade concussion can be treated with nothing more than time and rest. Advanced concussions can lead to serious symptoms, such as vomiting, disorientation, and an inability to speak clearly. Surgery may be required to reduce pressure inside of the brain and ongoing treatment may be required to avoid lifelong injuries.
Getting Medical Care
In order to get the right medical care for any of these injuries, you will likely need to consult a car accident attorney. Treating whiplash or a neurological issue can get expensive quickly, and you might not have the money to pay out of pocket. Your car accident attorney will set up liens so that the money is paid out of your final settlement. That takes the pressure out of getting the medical care you need. Whatever you do, don't skimp on getting the appropriate treatment for any of these injuries.
Contact professionals such as John V. Boshardy & Associates, P.C. to learn more.
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