Slipped and fell down the stairs… never feeling quite the same afterward.
Got into a car accident and thought you were fine… but now you’re in pain all the time, months later?
Or maybe someone rear-ended you at a red light and now your back hurts every day?
Sound familiar?
These stories happen to more people than you think. According to statistics, 51.6 million people suffered from chronic pain in 2021.
The Issue:
Most people don’t realize that personal injuries often lead to chronic health conditions that impact every area of your life. And the worst part? They have no idea there are legal options to get compensation for those chronic injuries and conditions.
In This Guide:
- What are chronic health issues after personal injuries?
- The impact of chronic health problems on your life
- Building your legal case for chronic health problems
- Tips for getting the maximum compensation for chronic conditions
What are Chronic Health Issues From Personal Injuries?
Chronic health conditions are ongoing or long-term medical conditions that occur after the initial injury is healed.
We’re talking about pain and other medical issues that persist for three months or longer, sometimes even for the rest of your life. Working with a skilled personal injury lawyer in Conway, AR after an accident that caused long-term health problems from someone else’s negligence is the only way to ensure you get fair compensation for your suffering.
These aren’t just temporary injuries like cuts, bruises, strains, and sprains. Chronic conditions are the result of injuries causing permanent or long-lasting damage that requires ongoing medical treatment and management.
Let’s say your back pain never goes away after that fender bender at the stoplight because someone else rear-ended you. That back pain is a chronic health issue that deserves compensation.
The Most Common Chronic Conditions From Accidents
Let’s dig into some of the common health conditions that can plague injury victims for years after an accident.
Chronic Pain Syndromes
Long-term or chronic pain is one of the most common results of personal injuries.
We’re not talking about normal pain that you experience for a few days. We’re talking about pain that lingers for three months or longer. In fact, studies show that up to 13% of adults in the United States suffer from chronic pain, and car accidents are one of the main causes.
Your body essentially gets stuck in pain mode even after the injury heals up.
The scary part? Research shows that “only 24 percent of patients adhere to the anticipated recovery pattern of a progressively diminishing problem. As a result, individuals tend to experience a prolonged period of unpredictable and undulating pain that may come and go at various times.” (Source: https://doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2020065)
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Brain injuries are no joke when it comes to long-term consequences.
One scary fact is that approximately 57% of TBI survivors end up with moderate to severe disabilities. TBI victims experience an unemployment rate of 55% five years after the injury.
Concussions and other forms of traumatic brain injuries can lead to ongoing or long-term headaches, memory problems, sleep disorders, mood changes, concentration issues, and other cognitive impairments. These problems can last for years and become permanent conditions.
Spinal Injuries and Back Problems
The human spine is surprisingly fragile when it comes to accidents.
Car and motorcycle accidents are the number one cause of spinal injuries, causing over 35% of new spinal injuries each year, according to the Mayo Clinic. Falls, sports injuries, and work injuries are also a leading cause.
Spinal injuries can lead to chronic back pain that makes sitting for long periods, bending and lifting, standing for extended periods, and climbing stairs difficult or even impossible. Many people with chronic back problems have to change careers to do less physical work because they’re no longer capable of performing the physical demands of their job.
Whiplash and Neck Injuries
Whiplash is commonly brushed off as a minor injury that people should be able to “work through.”
However, whiplash can lead to serious long-term problems. Whiplash is a neck strain that occurs when your head snaps violently forward and backward in a collision. Symptoms can take a few days to a few weeks to appear. But whiplash can cause chronic neck pain, stiffness, headaches, and dizziness that require long-term treatment.
How Chronic Health Issues Impact Your Life
Chronic health conditions have far-reaching effects beyond physical pain.
Financial Ruin
Chronic conditions often require long-term medical treatment that causes financial devastation.
Regular doctor visits, physical therapy, pain management treatments, prescription medications, and medical equipment can add up to thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime. If injury victims don’t receive adequate compensation, they face financial ruin trying to manage chronic conditions.
Loss of Career and Income
Chronic pain, disabilities, and medical appointments take a heavy toll on your ability to work.
You might not be able to work full-time hours, perform your regular job duties, advance in your career, or find suitable alternative employment. The lifetime income loss associated with chronic injuries can easily reach six figures.
Mental Health Issues
Here’s one people don’t like to talk about…
Chronic health conditions lead to serious mental health issues like anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. The mental anguish and psychological suffering from living with chronic pain and limitations are just as bad as the physical pain.
Isolation from Friends and Family
Chronic conditions often prevent injury victims from participating in the social activities and hobbies they once enjoyed.
Isolation becomes a problem when you can no longer spend time with friends and family in the ways you used to. Your relationships with friends and family members suffer.
Building Your Legal Case For Chronic Health Issues
Winning compensation for chronic conditions requires solid legal strategy.
Document Everything
The first thing you need to do after an accident is start documenting your chronic health issues. Keep detailed medical records, maintain a pain journal, take photos and videos of limitations, save all medical bills and receipts, and track how your chronic condition affects every area of your life.
You need evidence to support your chronic health claims. The more documentation you can provide, the stronger your legal case becomes.
Prove the Connection
In order to win compensation for chronic conditions, you must be able to prove that the injury from the accident caused your chronic condition.
Medical experts are key here. A doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, or other medical expert can testify that the accident caused your injuries. The medical professional can then explain how your injuries led to chronic conditions and what future medical care you’ll need for those conditions.
Calculate Future Damages
Chronic health conditions often result in ongoing and future medical costs, lost earning capacity, long-term care needs, and reduced quality of life.
Your compensation should take all these future losses into account, not just the past. Don’t settle for less than you deserve because of chronic injuries that you’ll have to deal with for the rest of your life.
Getting the Compensation You Deserve
Insurance companies know that most people won’t fight them on chronic health issues.
Insurance companies will use any means necessary to avoid paying out on chronic health claims. They’ll argue that your pain isn’t as severe as you claim, the chronic condition isn’t related to the accident, you’re exaggerating your symptoms, or you should have recovered by now.
The truth is you need a lawyer who understands chronic health issues and knows how to get maximum compensation for chronic injuries and conditions. You need someone who won’t back down or give up when the insurance companies start lowballing you.
A skilled personal injury attorney gathers strong medical evidence, works with expert witnesses, documents every loss you experience, negotiates aggressively with insurance companies, and isn’t afraid to take your case to trial if necessary.
Take Action Now
Living with chronic health conditions from a personal injury is hard enough.
Add in the stress of legal battles and fighting insurance companies to get fair compensation, and life can become overwhelming. But there’s one thing you need to know…
You have legal rights, and you deserve to be fairly compensated for your suffering. The sooner you take action, the stronger your case will be.
Don’t let insurance companies take advantage of your situation and pay you a fraction of what you deserve. Get experienced legal help to fight for every dollar you’re owed while you focus on managing your chronic health conditions.