An auto accident occurs in the United States almost every sixty seconds. Although this figure encompasses fender benders as well as serious and fatal accidents, you can see that your chances of being involved in an auto accident are actually quite high. While the injuries from such accidents can vary widely, most of the time there is pain involved. The “typical” car accident moves the human body in a violent manner resulting in head trauma, fractures and soft tissue damage to muscles, ligaments and tendons. While a car is specifically designed to withstand an accident to the fullest degree possible, the human body was never meant to be slammed around within the confines of an automobile.
How Often Does Chronic Pain Occur?
Chronic pain following an auto accident is relatively common, and research states that individuals are more likely to suffer from chronic pain than any other form of traumatic injury. In fact, being in a car accident places the average person at an 85% increased risk of traumatic pain as compared to others who suffered a work injury, bone fracture or hospitalization unrelated to an automobile.
Pain is Difficult to Quantify
Pain can be an extremely difficult thing to prove, since an injury which results in excruciating pain to one person can seem relatively mild to another. The person who is suffering the pain can become frustrated when others fail to understand the extent of the pain they now live with day in and day out. For the person who is suffering from pain following a car accident, this pain is extremely real and extremely debilitating. Medical professionals define chronic pain as any type of pain which persists longer than the normal healing process for a specific injury or disease. While the diagnosis may be problematic, chronic pain requires a definitive treatment plan.
Types of Injuries Which Can Lead to Chronic Pain
Whether your original injury was mild or severe, you may experience constant or intermittent pain long after the injury itself has healed. This pain can vary in intensity from mild to unbearable, and can have a significant effect on quality of life and day-to-day activities. There are several types of injuries which are more likely to lead to chronic pain, the first of which is a traumatic brain injury. Brain injury victims can find their life suddenly compromised by constant headache pain which can range from a dull, achy throb to a searing pain which can actually cause the victim to become suicidal. The only treatment available for the intense head pain which follows a brain injury is medication.
Spinal cord injuries which do not result in paralysis can lead to back pain which is so intense that it colors every aspect of the victim’s life. Pain from injuries such as this can include specific exercises, stretching and medication. A bone stress or fracture which results from an auto accident can cause the bone to infect or mend improperly, both of which can cause the victim to have a dull, constant pain in that particular area. The only treatments are surgery—which may or may not work—and medication.
Getting the Help You Need
If you are the victim of a car accident and are still experiencing chronic pain, remember—you did not ask to be in an accident. If the accident was due to another’s negligence, it can be even harder, mentally, to deal with your debilitating pain. Sufferers of chronic pain need help paying their medical bills and lost wages, but can run into opposition from insurance companies who may deny the claim, believing it is not legitimate. A knowledgeable Mississippi auto accident attorney can be your best advocate during this time; he or she will investigate the extent of your injuries and chronic pain, and then aggressively fight on your behalf for the compensation you need and deserve.
Call us today for a free initial consultation.