Back pain may not sound as serious as other personal injuries from car accidents, but back pain is commonly associated with missed days from work, lower productivity, and poor sleep. Severe lower back pain can be intense enough to temporarily leave someone unable to move or perform physical tasks. Poor sleep quality alone can sometimes worsen pain and lead to concentration or memory problems. Try consulting with a Tennessee car accident lawyer if you started experiencing back pain after a car accident.
How Serious is My Back Pain?
The two main types of lower back pain are acute and chronic back pain. Acute back pain lasts anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks and often does not come back. Chronic back pain is diagnosed when the pain lasts longer than 12 weeks. Some conditions of chronic back pain have been known to last several years. Many people with chronic back pain have gone to great lengths to find relief like prescription pain killers and surgical interventions.
Back pain can be caused by sprains, strains, ruptured discs in the spine, and nerve damage. Car accidents can cause any one of these injuries from the abrupt force of the impact. Back pain becomes serious when the pain becomes severe or chronic. Either of these can make working a job close to impossible and can lead to depression because of the hopelessness and significant life changes this condition can bring.
Should I Call a Lawyer?
Back pain may not always show up right away, which can raise problems with filing a personal injury claim. This happens because some insurance companies will not associate your back pain with the car accident. To avoid this, you need to seek medical attention as soon as you start experiencing back pain. The sooner you have a doctor list your back pain in association with the car accident, the greater your chances of convincing the insurance company.
You should call a lawyer when you still experience trouble with the insurance company despite having a doctor’s note and medical records for your back pain. A lawyer will work under Tennessee’s modified comparative negligence law to help you obtain compensation. This law calculates your compensation by a percentage of fault and will reduce your compensation according to your own percentage of fault.
A lawyer may be able to help you convince the insurance company that you were less at fault for the accident than they originally thought. They will also help you collect evidence and other information for the accident report and your personal injury claim. If negotiations with the insurance company fail, your lawyer has the resources needed to take them to court.
