Practice Areas - Neck and Back Injuries

Neck and back injuries are the most common injuries in car accidents. Sometimes the injuries are immediate, causing severe pain or permanent disablities. These injuries are easy to prove in court because the injuries are diagnosed immediately at a hospital.

However, sometimes even with major damage to the vehicles, a person may not feel a great deal of pain at the accident scene. Cars are much safer than they were in the past, and airbags and   shoulder harnesses help prevent more serious and obvious injuries (broken bones and lacerations). Often a person will begin stiffening up hours, or even days after an accident and the symptoms  may get worse over the course of a week or more. This may be a result of stretched or torn muscles and ligaments, which are referred to as "soft tissue" injuries. Sometimes soft tissue injuries are more debilitating than broken bones, but proving those injuries are related to a car accident can be challenging, especially if you don't seek medical treatment soon after the accident.

Many of my clients have felt no pain at the scene, and have  gone home thinking they were lucky and uninjured. Unfortunately, the next morning can be a rude awakening, when they find out they can barely stand up. I have heard many clients tell me the next morning they felt like "they fell down a flight of stairs."

It is important to see a doctor if you feel any symptoms whatsoever. The sooner you see a doctor, the sooner your complaints will be documented, and this will assist you later in a claim against the negligent  party. The doctor can  prescribe therapy, and medications which will make you feel better, and help you prove your case.

Neck and back injuries are frustrating to patients, doctors, and attorneys. Recovery can be long and frustrating. The sad truth is "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." If you don't document your injuries and get treatment, you will be treated as if you were not injured. Period. 

Without broken bones and blood, insurance  companies like to argue there isn't anything to prove the injury other than the complaints of the claimant. It is the "subjective vs. objective" argument. Subjective symptoms are based upon the person's complaints. Objective symptoms are things that can be verified by an X-ray, or a doctor's observations. 

For your health, and for your case, it is important to get the medical treatment that you need, and follow your doctor's instructions. If you have any questions about neck and back injuries, call Dan Pope at 206-622-7300 for a free consultation.