Broken Bones and Personal Injury Lawsuits

Fractures are not required to have a personal injury case

While we are not attorneys, we do get asked this question a lot. If I don’t have a broken bone, is it even worth going to a doctor or filing a personal injury claim?

One of our employees has worked for a law firm for many years.  And one of the common questions that she would get is whether you need a broken bone to qualify for a personal injury case? Broken bones do not make up a large portion of most personal injury cases.  Whiplash, back pain and other soft tissue injuries are much more common with the majority of personal injury claims.

Moreover, many soft tissue injuries can be difficult to diagnose and may take days or even weeks to feel.  This is why we generally recommend seeking medical attention within 72 hours.  Seeking immediate treatment will help prevent additional injuries and pain, but also supports your personal injury claim.  Time is never on your side after any car wreck, and the insurance company will be watching to see if you seek treatment.

Whiplash and other Soft Tissue Injuries make up the bulk of most personal injury claims, not broken bones or fractures.

If you had to put it into percentages, we would guess that less than 5% of a personal injury case is made up of broken bones or fractures, with the other 95% being soft tissue injuries. Of course, these numbers can vary depending on many different factors, and possibly by the attorney handling the case. Some personal injury attorneys specialize in broken bone cases, so that number may be much higher.  However, the majority of personal injury attorneys are comfortable with both soft tissue and broken bone cases.

We recommend talking to your Accident Physician about the pros and cons of using an attorney.  Moreover, your car wreck Doctor has worked with hundreds if not thousands of different attorneys.  With this experience, your Doctor can help you find an attorney that specializes in your specific injuries and understands your financial needs.

What is a Soft Tissue Injury or STI?

A soft tissue injury includes damage to ligaments, muscles and tendons. For example, whiplash can happen when soft tissues in the neck get stretched beyond their normal range of motion.  Furthermore, whiplash can happen at very low speeds and can lead to permanent damage without proper treatment.

Many Soft Tissue Injuries require special attention from multiple Doctors who specialize in accident injuries.  A good accident clinic will offer treatment from a team of Medical Doctors, Chiropractors and/or Physical Therapists.  Your pain may be immediate or can take a few days and even weeks to present itself.  Additionally, many STIs benefit from early detection to help reduce pain and recovery time.

Common symptoms of a Soft Tissue Injury

• Whiplash
• Neck Pain
• Back Pain
• Headaches
• Tingling sensation
• Sprains
• Strains
• Contusions
• Tendonitis
• Bursitis
• Stress injuries

Soft tissue injuries need treatment regardless of what the insurance company says. Listen to your body.  If you are hurt or just don’t feel like yourself, then you should definitely go see the doctor. In some instances, we have had people concerned with how their medical bills will be paid. Concern about bills may largely determine if they seek medical care. Just remember, you should always seek medical care after any automobile accident.

Car accidents cause a variety of emotional, physical and monetary stresses.  Your car is damaged, possibly you cannot work and you still need to feed kids and take care of daily needs.  However, your vehicle can be fixed or replaced but you only have one body.  Get the treatment you need today and worry about how the bills are going to get paid later.

However, if you are not injured and you think going to the doctor and hiring an attorney is your best bet, think again. Doctors who treat auto accident injuries can tell if you are truly injured and require additional treatment. Furthermore, faking an injury will not help your personal injury claim, and it certainly will not help the people who are really injured.

You have no broken bone or Fractures, but you are feeling pain

Broken bones need immediate medical attention, oftentimes through the Emergency Room or Urgent Care. If you have not suffered any broken bones but still hurt after an auto accident, make sure you see a doctor who treats auto related injuries. You can call your primary care physician, but in most cases, they won’t treat your accident injuries.

A broken bone is generally not too hard to prove.  Most broken bones and fractures can be diagnosed using an X-RAY, MRI or other imaging device. However, soft tissue injuries require a little more work to properly diagnose and treat. If you have been injured in an auto accident make sure to see a doctor, if you we do not have a doctor listed in your area, contact us.

Make sure to ask your Injury Physician if they accept third party billing before seeking treatment.  Moreover, make sure that the injury clinic provides access to a team of Doctors who specialize in car accident treatment.  Not to mention, ask if they can provide access to a MRI, X-Ray, CT Scan and other imaging if you feel that you have a broken bone or fracture.

Get the medical care you deserve.  Time is never on your side after any accident and you should do everything you can do prevent further damage and to help satisfy the insurance company.  Call us today if you cannot find a qualified accident doctor in your area.