If you recently got in a car accident and your back hurts, there are three things you can do to protect your physical health and strengthen a potential injury claim:
- Seek medical attention and follow your doctor’s care plan
- Start a pain journal
- Watch what you say about your injury
- Discuss your case with a personal injury attorney familiar with car accident cases
Seek Proper Medical Attention and Follow Your Doctor’s Directives
If you did not seek medical attention immediately after the accident, go as soon as possible. If your back pain symptoms did not manifest for hours or days, or if you did not visit the doctor soon after the collision, it can be difficult to establish a link between your pain and the car accident. Getting the right treatment as soon as possible is also critical to preserving back and spine function.
Follow Your Doctor’s Orders
Sometimes injured parties disobey doctor’s orders or skip their appointments. Life gets in the way, or sometimes the treatment is too expensive to keep up with. However, this can jeopardize your health and your right to recover compensation.
If your doctor tells you to remain on bedrest for three weeks or avoid lifting heavy boxes, do so. If you ignore your doctor’s orders and the other party’s insurer finds out, it may allege that you are exaggerating your injuries or contributing to them. In either case, you may lose money you deserve.
Note: You may want to ask your doctor how you can help expedite your recovery. Your doctor may instruct you to apply ice or heat to your back, do light stretches, or take a short walk around the neighborhood to keep your muscles active. You should do as your doctor suggests unless it causes you pain.
Keep Track of Your Pain
Following an accident, it can be useful to keep a daily record of the pain you are experiencing. Be specific about where your back or neck pain is occurring.
Write down any particular movement or activity that makes the pain worse. Take note of what (if anything) you have done that lessens the pain.
Include the intensity of the pain on a scale of one to 10 and any details such as whether the pain is dull and aching, throbbing, stabbing, radiating, or fixed. Also, record any spasms or areas where you feel a numbness or tingling sensation.
Keeping this record will not only increase your chances of receiving an accurate diagnosis, but it could be useful in the insurance claim process. Your lawyer may recommend that you make a pain and suffering claim. Having a record of your pain and suffering could be helpful, especially in the case of lumbar strains where an objective diagnosis can be difficult.
Modify Activities Accordingly
Do not try to work through your back pain. Unless your physician has allowed you to proceed, it is important to refrain from rigorous physical activity. Do not try to lift heavy items or engage in hard physical labor. Doing so could make your condition worse, even permanent.
If you take over-the-counter medication to reduce your back pain, be sure to do so only as the packaging instructions direct.
Watch What You Say About Your Accident and Injury
If you are considering filing an accident claim against the other driver, you must be cautious about what you say regarding the accident. Refrain from posting about the accident on social media and be very careful when speaking with an insurance adjuster as they can use anything you say against your claim. The adjuster can twist something as innocent as “I’m OK” or “I’m sorry” to claim you admitted fault or that you are uninjured.
Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney about Your Rights
If you believe another party caused your accident, speak to a car accident attorney familiar with back pain cases. You may be entitled to any losses related to your back pain and any other injuries. The Parrish Law Firm, PLLC is dedicated to helping accident victims recover compensation for back injuries and other damages. We can help you build your case and defend against any tactics the insurance company tries to use to devalue or deny your claim.
If you or someone you know has suffered injuries from a car accident, call 571-229-1800. The consultation is free, and we work on a contingency basis, so you owe us nothing upfront. We only get paid if you get paid.
Call or Text 571-229-1800 or Complete a Free Case Evaluation form