Living With Chronic Pain After a Chatom, AL Auto Accident

Auto accidents can leave you with side effects and health issues that follow you for the rest of your life. Some accident victims are unlucky enough to be left dealing with chronic pain, which takes a toll on their quality of life and their mental well-being. It’s important for victims to understand their rights and pursue compensation if someone else is responsible for their injury.

When you decide to fight for compensation, choosing the right attorney is crucial. The team of Chatom personal injury lawyers at Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell can help you pursue the compensation you’re owed. Call our Chatom office at 251-336-3411 or our Bay Minette office at 251-336-3697 to set up a consultation now.

Understanding Accident-Related Chronic Pain

It should come as no surprise that car accidents can cause chronic pain. A huge amount of force is generated during an accident, and all of that force has to go somewhere. Much is absorbed by the crumple zones of both vehicles, but some is transferred to the vehicle’s occupants. If you absorb accident force in your back, neck, or other body parts, the damage could be severe enough to be permanent. Your body can only tolerate so much, and high-speed accidents often far exceed those limits.

Individuals are more likely to experience chronic pain if they suffer spinal injuries, soft tissue damage, or nerve damage. Lower back pain is the most common type of chronic pain. The physical damage is substantial, but the effects extend to a victim’s emotional and mental health. Being in constant pain is emotionally and mentally draining, as you’re constantly forced to find new ways to cope with pain that would make most people seek emergency medical care. As a result, victims may be left without the energy needed to fulfill other obligations.

Legal Considerations and Issues

When you’re navigating a claim involving chronic pain, be ready to address a number of legal issues and concerns. To start, you’ll need to determine causation. You can’t seek compensation from anyone until you know who caused the accident and prove that they were negligent. This is why it’s helpful to have police reports, photos and video of the crash scene, and other types of evidence to bolster your claim.

Another issue to keep in mind is that figuring out compensation for chronic pain can be fairly complicated. In many pain and suffering payouts, the amount paid out is based on how long the patient is in pain—which assumes that the pain eventually goes away. If you’ll be living with this pain for the rest of your life, determining how much that’s worth can be a challenge. It’s important to work with a Chatom car accident attorney with experience in chronic pain claims.

You should also be ready for a bit of a battle with the negligent party’s insurance company. You know your chronic pain is real, and you know that it negatively affects every part of your life. The insurance company won’t take you at your word, though. They do their best to avoid paying out for anything that can’t be proven by medical tests. Documenting your chronic pain and proving the ways it’s changed your life can help you fight for what you’re owed.

Medical Treatment and Related Expenses

Those who experience chronic pain often go through many different types of treatment to try to minimize their pain. This can be expensive, especially since it is basically trial and error—you may go through numerous failed treatments before finding anything that works.

Make sure that you document everything related to your chronic pain treatment. Getting coverage for chronic pain can be notoriously difficult. Even health insurance companies, which should have their client’s best interests in mind, push back on these treatments. An insurance company that doesn’t even represent you will push back even harder. Your Chatom auto accident attorney can help you gather the evidence you need to prove that your treatment is necessary and recommended.

Fighting Chronic Pain After an Accident? Contact Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell

If chronic pain has derailed your life after a car accident, the team at Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell is here to help you seek justice. Give our Chatom office a call at 251-336-3411, call our Bay Minette office at 251-336-3697, or contact us online to get started.