Healthcare and Your Personal Injury Claim - Dealing with "Soft Tissue" Sprain/Strain Injuries
Posted Monday, September 12, 2011 by Chris Thayer
One issue that I see frequently in my practice is the “whiplash” victim who suffers from long term neck and back pain. For many people these symptoms resolve over a period of a several months. For a certain percentage, however, the symptoms persist over a long period of time and become chronic. Insurance companies are highly skeptical of these types of claims which they characterize as “soft tissue” - meaning that there are no physiological changes viewable on X-Ray or MRI.
If you have suffered a significant sprain/strain injury to your neck, it is essential to get the proper medical treatment as early possible. As I always tell my clients, I am a lawyer, not a doctors, so don’t take medical advice from me. However, you need to be proactive in managing your care if you have a serious whiplash-type injury that is not resolving. If your symptoms persist beyone a few weeks, it is essential that you consider consulting with a specialist - and not just your primary care physician. Depending on your condition and symptoms, you may want to consider seeking treatment from a Physiatrist (also known as a Rehabilitation Medicine Specialist). These are doctors who are specially trained to treat people with a variet of injuries. Often they will be more familiar with the most effective forms of treatment.
When dealing with a “soft tissue” injury, it is important, like any other medical condition, that you are proactive about doing everything you can to get better. Insurance companies are highly skeptical about these injuries - even though the medical literature is quite clear that their effects can be severe and debilitating. If you have a sprain/strain injury or serious “soft tissue” injury as a result of an accident, you should consider consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney. Even if you decide not to hire an attorney, an initial free consultation may help you avoid getting taken advantage of by the insurance companies.