When you get injured in a car crash you have to prove the other party’s negligence to get compensated. Diagnostic tests provide hard evidence of your injuries. The documentation in your medical records show when those injuries occurred. If your injuries are hard to diagnose and prove, however, how can you link them to your car crash?
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Below, our attorneys at Anderson & Cummings talk about internal injuries that may not show up in tests, like X-rays or MRIs. We also discuss how to link hard-to-prove injuries to the incident that caused them.
Not sure if you have a car crash claim? We can help you with that. Our experienced car crash lawyers in Fort Worth have been helping injured victims for decades, recovering millions for our clients. Call our trusted law firm today to learn more. We work hard for our clients, and have the resources to protect legal interests and fight for the fair compensation you deserve.
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How Are Car Crash Injuries Typically Diagnosed?
After a car crash, victims should get examined at a nearby emergency room. We recommend this, both for your health and any potential claim you might want to pursue. Getting this done immediately after the crash creates documentation in your medical records. These medical notes detail critical details like the date and the cause of your injuries. The treating physician will also document any injuries found through his or her examination and ensuing diagnostic tests, such as X-rays, MRIs and CT-scans. This information is vital to your claim because it helps to link your injuries to the accident that caused them.
What If the Doctor Cannot Find What Is Wrong With You?
Not all injuries manifest symptoms right away. Some remain hidden, and these injuries are difficult for medical professionals to detect or diagnose right away. Often with these types of injuries, the symptoms may not show up for days or even weeks.
Unfortunately, delayed symptoms and the absence of any visible signs complicate an injured victim’s ability to prove a claim.
What Are the Hardest Injuries To Prove?
The following internal injuries rarely show visible signs of harm. The symptoms are often delayed or really subtle. If the damage cannot be detected in any diagnostic test, then how can a doctor diagnose or treat you?
These injuries, although invisible to the naked eye and hard to detect through medical diagnostics, may still be severe. Without treatment, injured victims may develop chronic medical conditions.
The most challenging internal injuries to diagnose include:
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Traumatic brain injuries are among the most challenging injuries to diagnose following a car accident. TBIs range from mild concussions to severe diffuse axonal injuries. The symptoms of TBIs, however, are often subtle. Symptoms, like headaches, dizziness and cognitive difficulties might not be immediately evidence. Even when there are symptoms, people might mistake them for less severe issues, like the stress of being in a crash.
TBIs can result in severe conditions or secondary complications if they are not diagnosed early on. Some of the most common conditions that might develop include:
- Severe, chronic headaches
- Memory loss
- Personality changes
Whiplash and Soft-Tissue Injuries
Whiplash is a common result of rear-end collisions, caused by rapid and violent back-and-forth movement. This motion can severely damage soft tissue in the neck and surrounding areas.
Typical symptoms of whiplash include the following:
- Neck pain
- Stiffness
- Atypical headaches, which may often develop gradually up to a few days after the crash
It is challenging to diagnose whiplash because the internal damage does not always show up on standard medical imaging tests, like X-rays or MRIs. This situation is problematic, because the lack of visible evidence makes it difficult to prove the victim’s injuries exist.
Internal Injuries
Internal injuries, such as organ damage or injuries that cause internal bleeding, are particularly dangerous because they may not present immediate symptoms. Victims are typically in shock after a crash and might feel fine initially. Hours later, they could experience severe or life-threatening health issues later.
Internal injuries like these are typically discovered through more sophisticated diagnostic tools, such as CT scans or ultrasounds. However, a doctor may not immediately order these tests after an accident if vital signs are fine and there are no injuries suspected.
Delayed detection of injuries could put a victim’s life at risk. Even if the damages are not life-threatening, it creates a legal complication.
Psychological Injuries
Car accidents may cause many victims to suffer severe psychological injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. Unlike physical injuries, psychological injuries leave no visible marks, making them harder to diagnose and prove.
PTSD may present with these and other symptoms:
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Severe anxiety
- Fear of riding in any vehicle
PTSD symptoms may not surface for weeks or months after a car crash. Once victims are aware something is wrong, seeing a mental health professional can help them deal with the trauma. The documentation of these visits will help to prove the existence of these psychological injuries.
How Can You Prove Injuries That Are Hard To Diagnose?
The process for proving these types of injuries requires consistent documentation. Having medical records from your visits for ongoing treatment also helps. The biggest problem is how insurance companies view these injuries. When there is no visible evidence and tangible evidence, like medical records, is also scant, they will push back and try to devalue or even deny your claim.
So what can you do in this situation? Seek legal help to protect your financial interests. Having an attorney to manage your case and explain critical first steps can make all the difference in your ability to recover compensation. Your attorney can also help you to avoid making mistakes that could severely damage your claim.
Additional steps that help to prove hard-to-diagnose injuries and protect your claim include:
- Seeking medical attention right away to ensure your first visit documents the crash
- Be detailed in discussing your injuries with the doctor and the type of crash you were in
- In the days that follow, carefully document how you feel, including all symptoms, even if they seem unrelated
- Continue to seek treatment for your symptoms and injuries, and take your doctor’s recommended plan of care seriously
After protecting your health, taking steps to protect your claim should be your number one priority. Allow your attorney to guide you throughout the legal process.
Injured in a Crash? Contact Our Trusted Law Firm to Discuss Your Situation
At Anderson & Cummings, you are never just a number. Client satisfaction is our highest priority, and we are deeply committed to getting you the full and fair compensation you deserve.
Contact our law offices today to discuss your potential case with one of our qualified attorneys. This meeting can be done in person or via phone or secure video conferencing. There is no charge for your initial consultation as we take injury cases on contingency. This means you also do not pay any costs or fees up front or throughout the legal process. We only get paid if we win your case and recover compensation through a negotiated settlement or jury-awarded verdict.
Anderson & Cummings. We fight to get you justice and results. (817) 920-9000