Car crash injuries can affect you in a variety of ways, but one of the most debilitating effects is chronic pain. Some victims deal with chronic pain for many years after the accident.
If you or your loved one was severely injured in a crash caused by another’s negligence, there may be a significant risk of chronic pain. The Green Bay car accident lawyers at Sigman Janssen know how to secure compensation for all the effects of an injury, including chronic pain.
Below, we discuss how chronic pain can occur after a Wisconsin car accident and determining the value of chronic pain in an injury claim.
Call us to schedule a free legal consultation. Phone: (877) 888-5201. There are no upfront fees.
Defining Chronic Pain
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, chronic pain is long-lasting pain that does not subside after the usual recovery period for your specific injury. Chronic pain often accompanies other persistent health problems, like arthritis.
Sometimes chronic pain is continuous and sometimes it comes and goes. Some people may have an easier time managing the pain, but others may be affected to the point they cannot:
- Engage in physical activities they once enjoyed
- Help out around the house like they used to do
- Work at all, or as much as they used to
- Eat food normally
Car Crash Injuries That Often Cause Chronic Pain
There are several car crash injuries that often cause chronic pain. However, each injury is unique, and some people might not experience chronic pain after they recover. This could be because of genetic factors, the victim’s age or how well the victim responds to treatment.
Back Injuries
Anyone who has ever had a back injury can attest to how painful they can be. Victims may experience pain when:
- Sitting
- Standing
- Getting up from a sitting position
- Walking
- Sleeping
- Lying down
Back pain can be particularly devastating for people who were often physically active before the crash.
Head Injuries
Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries can cause a variety of physical and cognitive difficulties, which may be accompanied by persistent pain. The pain could come from persistent headaches, including migraine headaches.
Whiplash
Whiplash is an incredibly painful neck injury that often results from a rear-end collision. The victim’s head and neck get thrown forward and backward so hard that the soft tissues in the neck suffer damage. Victims may experience significant pain in their neck and upper back. The pain may radiate down to their shoulders and arms.
Soft-Tissue Injuries
Whiplash is just one type of soft-tissue injury that could occur in a car crash. Victims could also suffer knee, shoulder, ankle, or elbow injuries that result in long-term pain. Even if doctors surgically repair the damage, you may develop arthritis later in life. This can dramatically affect your mobility and your ability to take part in a variety of physical activities.
What is the Value of Chronic Pain in an Injury Claim?
There is no defined value for pain, it depends on many factors, including the victim’s experience, statements from doctors, the cost and duration of treatment, and more.
Treatment For Chronic Pain
Treatment for chronic pain often involves medication to help reduce or eliminate the pain. Victims may also need mobility aids, like braces, canes or crutches to help them walk without pain. Physical therapy and rehabilitation may also be part of the treatment plan. Victims may be able to strengthen the surrounding muscles and tissues to help reduce pain.
It is important to remember that physical pain can and often does have an emotional component. Victims may suffer from depression, lack of sleep, anxiety and other emotional issues.
Proof of Chronic Pain
It is important for car crash victims to report pain to their treating doctors as soon as possible. Your lawyer may also recommend keeping a journal in which you document the pain you experience each day. You can explain the severity of the pain, what it prevents you from doing, and how often it occurs.
Lawyers have various methods for attaching a value to chronic pain and other non-economic damages. One of the reasons you should hire an experienced lawyer is that he or she will know how to calculate the value of your chronic pain. Compensation allows you to get the treatment you need to manage your pain and help improve the quality of your life.
You need an experienced advocate to deal with the insurance company’s attempts to minimize your pain or deny it’s connection to your car crash injury.
Call Sigman Janssen For Post-Crash Legal Help
At our firm, we understand the wide-ranging effects of a car crash injury and we are deeply committed to securing compensation for all your medical care and other damages. We have decades of experience securing millions in compensation for injured victims in Wisconsin.
There is no risk in contacting our firm because the initial consultation is free of charge and comes with no legal obligation. There are also no upfront fees and no fees while working on your case.
Sigman Janssen. Experienced Lawyers. Proven Results. Call (877) 888-5201.