To successfully resolve a car accident case, you must prove you suffered substantial damage. This is easy enough to do if you sustained obvious injuries like broken bones, cuts, and burns.
However, some life-altering injuries aren’t immediately visible. In this situation, you need detailed medical documentation and a skilled personal injury lawyer to build a solid case.
What Are Invisible Injuries?
Invisible injuries are usually impossible to see with the naked eye. They may have delayed symptoms and could even fail to show up on early imaging tests, like X-rays, after a car accident. Nevertheless, they are real and often cause major physical suffering and emotional distress. Some may leave survivors disabled and unable to work.
Examples include whiplash, internal injuries, and brain, nerve, spinal cord, and ligament damage. Psychological injuries, including anxiety, depression, traumatic flashbacks, and PTSD, likewise fall into the category of invisible conditions.
Documenting and Proving Invisible Injuries
Early, consistent, and well-rounded medical records are important in any car accident case, especially if your injuries aren’t obvious. You need to see a doctor within 24 hours of your accident, undergo a thorough medical check-up, and carefully follow your healthcare provider’s instructions.
However, sometimes, medical professionals fail to diagnose a serious condition like post-concussion syndrome. Be aware of your symptoms, even if a doctor gives you the all-clear, and bring up symptoms like chronic pain or unexplained loss of coordination during your follow-up appointments. Save all your medical records and share them with your personal injury lawyer.
How Insurance Companies Dodge Claims After Invisible Injuries
Insurance companies may use several tactics to deny your condition and avoid paying you. For example, the insurance adjuster could state that your medical evidence is inconclusive and doesn’t prove a serious condition, especially if an initial scan failed to reveal the injuries.
Adjusters may also pin your symptoms on a pre-existing condition or argue that something else, like a sports accident, could have caused the injury. They may blame you for delaying medical treatment if you were initially unaware of how serious your condition was, demand unreasonable or excessive evidence, and even comb your social media to prove your injury isn’t as severe as you claim.
That’s why you should work with a skilled personal injury lawyer who has experience representing accident survivors with similar conditions.
What Evidence Could Help You Establish Your Claim?
Concussions, nerve damage, or soft tissue injuries could be easy to miss, especially if the medical professional doesn’t look too closely or fails to use the right tools. A second opinion may help you prove your condition.
For example, a skilled neurologist can lean on their experience and advanced scans to diagnose a TBI or use electromyography (EMG) to spot a herniated disc. Psychiatrists who work closely with trauma survivors are better equipped than general practitioners to diagnose conditions like complex PTSD.
Other professionals, like a vocational rehabilitation consultant, may help confirm that you can’t return to your previous job or can’t work at all and may need help with day-to-day tasks because of your injury. Your attorney will let you know whether an expert witness testimony may tip the scales in your favor.
Our Personal Injury Lawyers Will Fight for Your Rights After a Car Accident
Are you asking, “How should I document and prove my condition after a car crash?” Call us at Stewart & Stewart Attorneys. Our legal team can help you present solid medical records, expert testimony, and other evidence supporting your claim.
Call (800)-333-3529 or contact us online 24/7 to schedule a free consultation with an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer.