Personal Injuries Q & A

Personal injury involves situations in which one person is injured due to another person’s carelessness or negligence. When another person is liable for your injury, you can file a lawsuit to try and receive compensation for your medical treatment and other damages as allowed by law.

If you find yourself in this situation, it’s important to document your injuries as soon as possible. Although you have two years to file a lawsuit, you shouldn’t wait that long to get a thorough medical evaluation. You’ll need timely proof of your injuries, as well as a medical opinion stating the cause of your injuries.

Some of the most common personal injuries include:

• Slip-and-fall injuries
• Strains and fractures
• Car accidents, including whiplash
• Animal injuries, such as dog bites
• Random accidents

The doctors at SMART Spine Institute & Surgery Center have managed over a thousand personal injury cases, so you can count on them to correctly diagnose and treat your condition.

What should you know about auto accidents?

Even if you feel fine following an automobile accident, you should undergo a medical examination because the symptoms of some injuries may not appear right away. Your doctor at SMART Spine Institute & Surgery Center can identify any potential problems and begin treatment to help prevent complications.

A medical examination also documents your injury, which you’ll need when you file an insurance claim. If you wait to see the doctor, you may not be able to prove that your health problems were the direct result of the car accident.

What injuries are caused by car accidents?

Car accidents often cause spine injuries, broken ribs, and crush injuries of the hips, legs, and feet. They’re also responsible for traumatic brain injury. The most common injury, however, is whiplash.

Whiplash occurs when the force of a sudden impact makes your neck snap back and forth. As your neck moves beyond its normal range, muscles and ligaments are damaged. In severe cases, a whiplash can injure your spine.

Symptoms of whiplash may develop immediately, or not for several days. When you experience symptoms you may have:

• Neck pain and stiffness
• Loss of neck movement
• Muscle and ligament tears
• Headaches
• Tingling or numbness in arms
• Shoulder or back pain
• Memory loss or difficulty concentrating
• Fatigue

If you’ve sustained a personal injury, call SMART Spine Institute & Surgery Center or book an appointment online.