Rear-End Collision Injuries

Why Lawyers Take Rear-End Collision Injuries Seriously

Michael L. Chambers Jr., Auto Accident Lawyer

The last thing that you expect to happen when you are driving along following the rules of the road or sitting at a stop sign is to have another car slam into the back of yours. Many people discount rear-end collisions and refer to them as “fender benders,” but in reality, these accidents can result in surprisingly serious injuries.

Injuries can be costly, and compensation from an accident can cover all of the costs associated with the injury so that you move forward in a position as though the accident had not happened. Having a car accident attorney by your side as soon as possible after you receive treatment for your injuries will you recover the best possible compensation in your rear-end collision claim.

Below, we’ll explore common injuries experienced in rear-end collisions and how a car accident attorney in your area can help you negotiate with the other driver’s insurance company and attorneys to ensure that you receive compensation for your damages. Don’t pay anything out of pocket because of an accident that someone else caused.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

A rear-end accident can lead to a traumatic brain injury or TBI. A traumatic brain injury occurs when your body experiences a blow or impact to your head from a collision or a sudden snap of your head back and forth that rattles your brain. These can happen when your head strikes a surface inside your vehicle or when your brain strikes the interior of your skull as a result of the rear-end collision.

Traumatic brain injury can be to varying degrees of severity depending on the circumstances of your accident, ranging from mild to severe, though all degrees of brain injuries can have major and costly effects on your life.

Whiplash

Just as people discount rear-end accidents in general, they also commonly underestimate whiplash injuries. Whiplash refers to damage to the soft tissues in your neck after your head snaps back and forth from the force of a collision. You might think of someone on television taking the witness stand in a neck brace to demonstrate their injuries, but whiplash is a very real and painful condition that requires medical treatment.

Some people might not realize they have whiplash right away. They might assume that feeling sore or stiff following a collision is normal, and it might deter them from seeking medical attention. However, the symptoms can quickly worsen, and the sooner you get a diagnosis of whiplash, the better it is for both your health and a possible future injury claim.

Joint Injuries

A rear-end collision often happens without warning, so you cannot brace yourself in any manner for the impact. This can cause your entire body to jolt, stretch, and twist in unnatural ways, which can put excessive pressure on your joints. Hip, knee, and shoulder dislocations or soft tissue injuries are common in these types of crashes. If you feel any discomfort or movement limitations at all, you should seek a medical evaluation right away after the collision.

Some Healthcare Costs are Long-Term

Insurance companies often like to make quick offers to injury claimants that cover their existing medical bills. This might seem like a tempting proposal, as you might have a check in hand right away, though accepting this initial offer without legal guidance is a mistake.

Taking a quick settlement can deny you the ability to cover the long-term costs associated with your injuries, like ongoing rehabilitation, future surgeries, and medication, or any future lost wages stemming from your injury. Generally, 75 to 80 percent of medical bills after a car accident come during the 18 months after the accident. This means if you accept a settlement before this time without an accurate estimate of your damages, you must pay medical bills out of pocket.

If your medical issues last even longer, without a clear estimate of what your long-term medical expenses will be, the future and financial stability of your family can be at risk. Knowing what your injuries will cost is essential to collecting what you deserve, and your car accident attorney knows how to accurately determine your damages.

Having an experienced car accident attorney on your side as soon as possible will help to ensure that any decisions you make about settlement offers are informed and do not leave you holding the bill in the future for your medical costs or lost earnings. The insurance companies will be quick to settle so that they have to spend less time negotiating with you and so they can avoid significant future costs associated with your accident.

Insurance Company Tactics

Profit results from maximizing income and minimizing costs, and like any for-profit company, insurance companies try to keep their costs as low as possible. Insurance companies keep costs low by denying whatever claims they can and paying as little as possible on those claims that they do pay.

Aside from making insultingly low settlement offers right out of the gate, insurance companies might also:

• Deny their policyholder’s liability
• Blame you to lower your settlement
• Challenge the severity of your injuries
• Allege there is insufficient evidence of liability or your losses
• Deny your claim outright

To ensure that you can collect the compensation you deserve, reach out to a car accident attorney as soon as possible after your accident once you receive medical care. Insurers know that these tactics do not work once a claimant obtains legal representation.

Your rear end accident lawyer will step into your shoes and negotiate on your behalf with the insurance company and its adjusters to ensure that you get what you deserve without having to argue for it yourself. Knowledge of the law, local courts, and also the average amount of payouts for accidents like yours is essential to receive an accurate amount for your damages. Your car accident attorney does this for you.