Need Your Opinions. Wreck And 'Whiplash'.

Tuesday, ironically heading to my chiropractor, I had a truck riding my arse. Anyway, I was stopped at a redlight, the light turned green, but the car in front of me decided to put their turn signal on and turn left. OK, no problem.

So, the guy lets off the brake according to him, and hits me. I think he hit the accelerator myself, as it was a pretty good hit. My bumper is damaged, I am sure his insurance will pay for that. But this leads me to a question.

I have always laughed at people who claimed a neck injury in a minor car wreak. But Tuesday night, I woke up multiple times with neck pain. Now, days later, my neck hurts 20 or 30 times a day. When I reach down to flush the toilet, it hurts. Turning my head at times hurts. I don't sky dive or head butt my friends for fun, so the only thing that could have caused this is the wreck.

But, this hurts, and did not hurt before the wreck. It would seem the person at fault would have to make the car and person 'whole'.

Do I lawyer up, try to deal with the insurance company myself or what? The kid was polite, admitted fault to me and the police officer. I don't want to screw him over or his insurance company, but, I now have more pain than I had before Tuesday.

Just venting, thinking out loud so to speak. I plan on going back to my chiro Friday to see what he thinks. Have a couple of lawyers I can use, but don't want to sue for tons of money, just fix my car and my neck.

Anyone dealt with this stuff?

 

Hey Fred, my sister in law had a fairly minor accident sometime in 1998. Her car was sideswiped and had only about $2000 damage so not a really heavy impact, but because of the angle her car was hit, she came out of it with a whiplash shoulder injury that she still needs physio once week. In the insurance settlement she was awarded all accident related medical costs for life and this was very lucky because eventually it turns out she needed some corrective surgery and now needs constant ongoing therapy to maintain her mobility.

My advice is make sure you get assessed by a doctor just in case you have sustained a soft tissue injury that may be slow to heal or may need future surgery. When you make your claim to the insurance company be sure to mention your neck pain, have the doctor's report if it supports your claim and have it all somewhere in writing on the claim so that the insurance company can't claim "no prior knowledge" if problems arise in the future. The aches and pains will probably go away in a couple of weeks but what if they don't or what if you suddenly start having migraine headaches? My sister in law would have been slugged a fortune in medical costs if she hadn't mentioned it all up front as the insurance company tried every angle to avoid paying her medical costs and in the end they lost when it went to court and the judge ruled in her favour.:-D

Good luck Fred and I hope everything goes well for you

 

First, you need to be checked out by a doctor. Nothing against chiropractors, but a visit to a MD is good for both your health and any possible settlements.

Second, DO NOT accept any offer from the other guy's insurance until you are SURE you have no long term medical problems. If they offer to pay for the vehicle damage (a separate claim from the injury), read the fine print carefully to be sure you're not giving up any rights on your injury.

You should talk to a reputable attorney (not a late night TV ambulance chaser) about what constitutes "fair" damages. If the insurance company blows off your injury claim or offers an insulting settlement of only a few hundred bucks, it would make sense to turn it over to a lawyer.

 

You totally need to go see a doctor and then contact a lawyer if you think it's the best way to get the guy to pay your medical bills.

A few (maybe 4) years ago I was hit by a car. She hit me on my left side, making impact with my left knee which actually spun me around so I landed facing the opposite direction I was facing when I got hit. The woman offered to call the police/ambulance but I declined because I felt "fine" as was able to stand and walk away.

Fast forward 4 years and I now is when really wish I had gone to see the doctor because my knee has progressively gotten worse. I can't straighten it fully and I can't even do something as simple as running one block without serious pain. Sometimes (although not often, it really depends on the weather, as odd as that sounds) it just really throbs and hurts and bending is like pure torture.

I would love to go to the dr now but I know I would probably have to end up paying an exorbitant amount of money on my own that I simply do not have. Had I gone when she offered, her insurance would have more than likely covered my medical bills but I wasn't thinking clearly at the time.

So moral of this story; you might think you are "fine" (I use that term loosely) now but you can never really know what might happen down the line. It's better to get it checked out now then to suffer the consequences later.

 

Been in this situation.

Because the person who hit me died, I did not feel the douchey-ness to lawyer up, and went to the insurance company myself. However, they would not sign off on any settlement to me until I signed off on medical expenses. This meant that injuries that showed up later, the insurance was legally free and clear of it.


So, IMO, talk to a lawyer. Chiropractors often temporarily solve bigger problems that show up later. Personally, I think many of them are quacks.

 

OK, this morning when I reached down to get my toothbrush and my neck hurt, I decided to go to the Chiro today. In a way, I see the chiro as a bit of quackery, but I have been going to one for years, and have limited pain, managed with no drugs. The Ortho solution would be drugs and or surgery involving fusing several vertebra and steel rods.

Been x-rayed until I almost glow in the dark, got some muscle shock stuff, and am taped up now. Will consider going to an Ortho once I get in touch with the insurance company. (I was not thinking straight and did not get the insurance info, my bad, so I have to wait for the police report.) Been going to the Chiro for years, so they saw me without the insurance info, and did not charge me.

Talked to a lawyer friend, and he will help if needed. Boss is OK if I need time off, so that is good.

Thanks for the replies. :cool

 

Have you considered an osteopath? I put more faith in them than chiropractors.

 

This.

Go now, when your bills have a very good chance of being covered by the other driver's insurance. I respect that you don't want to screw over someone who has already admitted fault and who was nice about it, but your health should be your first priority now. See doctors, chiropractors, and whoever else you need, keep all receipts and keep your own car insurance of it so there is a record of any medical bills you incurred as a result of the accident.

And Fred, to answer your last question, I have dealt with this myself, but I did in the past help a close friend who suffered such severe whiplash that she to this day can't hold a full-time job, because she can't stand or sit up for more than half an hour at a time without excruciating pain. Her accident was 15 years ago.

Be selfish, and pursue this. Spinal columns don't come with spare parts.

 

Honestly, never heard of that.

Wiki don't like them, am I missing anything?

For the record, my neck is a bit better tonight, took half a day of work.

 

Osteopathy:

More info here.

 

Very interesting, thanks. I work on certain muscle groups on my own to feel better.

 

Well...my PCP is a retired osteopath, and I don't hear of many chiropractors becoming other doctors so...

Your mileage may vary.

 

So, I started one claim with my chiro. Can I do another with a Osteopathy type?

Guess I need to chat with my lawyer Monday.

Appreciate the ideas.:cool

 

Yeah, I have no idea there. I don't see how they can say no.