Whiplash is a serious musculoskeletal injury that frequently affects car accident victims. An estimated 10 percent of whiplash sufferers will have lingering acute or chronic pain from a neck injury, as well as other symptoms including ringing in the ears, arm weakness and dizziness. The pain and mobility limits may be severe enough to prevent work.
Unfortunately whiplash is just one of many common traumatic injuries to the soft tissues in the body. Recent studies have shown a large percentage of car accident victims continue to experience musculoskeletal problems more than a month after their collision occurred. Many of these victims have not begun to pursue legal action, and could be jeopardizing their rights. Victims of collisions should not hesitate to contact personal injury lawyers in Knoxville for help after their accident. The Law Offices of G. Turner Howard III offers free consultations to those involved in a collision.
Knoxville Crash Victims Must Take Musculoskeletal Injuries Seriously
Researchers recently monitored 948 car crash victims who had sought treatment for a collision. The goal was to find out what happens to people after they are discharged from a hospital. Each year, more than four million people in the U.S. go to a hospital after a crash, so this question is an important one.
The research revealed that 70 percent of discharged patients still had lingering pain in the musculoskeletal system six weeks after the collision had occurred. The musculoskeletal system runs through the body and consists of all of the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments and joints) and bones. For around 1/3 of patients reporting lingering pain, at least four different bodily regions were affected.
Despite the fact that almost ¾ of participants had pain after the accident, most had not begun to take any type of legal action. Only 17 percent had spoken with a lawyer or actively begun to pursue a claim. Victims of car crashes can recover compensation if another motorist caused the collision.
The victims experiencing lingering musculoskeletal pain could be putting their ability to recover compensation in jeopardy. There is a limited period of time to take action after a crash occurs. Further, waiting too long to pursue a claim can result in lost evidence and makes it more difficult to prove that the collision was the cause of injuries.
Victims may be avoiding taking action because they don’t believe the pain is serious or because they think it will go away. Unfortunately, the extent of recovery from musculoskeletal injuries can be difficult to predict, and some patients may experience ongoing problems that could last for years.
This is especially troubling for those who reported symptoms that could be indicative of serious medical problems. For example, four percent of patients who had not spoken with a lawyer said they had fibromyalgia symptoms; 28 percent reported neck pain; and 13 percent had pain in seven different body regions. These crash victims and others with potentially serious crash injuries should not simply assume they will recover, but instead should take steps to protect their right to compensation.
Personal injury lawyers in Knoxville can help crash victims. Contact G. Turner Howard III, Attorney at Law at (844) G3-Help-Me or 865-558-8030. Or visit https://g3helpme.com/ to schedule a free consultation.
