After A Car Accident, These Are the Most Common Injuries That Might Require Ongoing Treatment
After you have been injured in a car crash, you may need to undergo physical therapy to fully treat your injuries. Physical therapy can be used to maintain and restore muscle tone and range of motion, reduce pain, relearn motor function and fine motor skills, or learn new adaptive techniques to help you continue living an independent life with permanent physical limitations.
Depending on the severity of your car accident injuries, you may need an extended course of physical therapy that can last months. As a result, any car accident claim settlement or trial award should include compensation for your past and future anticipated physical therapy needs.
Car Accident Injuries That Typically Need Physical Therapy
Some of the most common kinds of car accident injuries that are typically treated with physical therapy include:
- Whiplash, which is a muscle strain and nerve injury that occurs when the head and neck jerk or whip back and forth or side to side in a car crash
- Bone fractures
- Strains and sprains of ligaments, tendons, and muscles
- Dislocated joints, for which physical therapy may be needed to ensure that soft tissues like ligaments and tendons return to their proper place and can continue to provide proper support to the dislocated joint
- Deep muscle bruising, which can cause severe pain and stiffness
- Back injuries, including herniated disc injuries
Symptoms of Physical Injuries
Physical therapy is most effective at treating injuries suffered in a car accident when started as soon as possible. This makes it important to see a doctor after you have been involved in a car crash so that you can have your injuries diagnosed and get treatment to stabilize the injury so that you can begin physical therapy. Symptoms to look out for after a car accident that may indicate you have suffered physical injury include:
- Headaches or migraines
- Neck pain
- Pain, soreness, or stiffness in the back
- Stiffness or pain when moving joints, including the head/neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, or ankles
- Feelings of tightness or soreness in any muscles
- A feeling of pressure coming from inside a limb
Recovering Compensation for Your Physical Therapy Expenses
If you have been injured in a car accident in New Jersey, you may have several options for recovering compensation to help pay for the costs of physical therapy for your injuries. First, all auto insurance policies in New Jersey are required to provide personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. PIP coverage helps pay for medical-related expenses and other financial losses due to car accident injuries, such as lost income from missed work. PIP coverage is available to any injured driver or their injured passengers, regardless of who was at fault for a car accident. Thus, you can look to your own auto insurance policy to get compensation for your physical therapy expenses.
When another driver was at fault for causing the car accident that resulted in your injuries, you may be entitled to pursue a legal claim against that driver and their liability insurance coverage to recover compensation for the costs of physical therapy and other medical expenses that exceed the limit of your PIP coverage.
Contact an Edison Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Car Accident Case in New Jersey
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident in New Jersey? Don't let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Lombardi and Lombardi, P.A.represent clients injured because of car accidents in Woodbridge, Old Bridge, Piscataway, New Brunswick, and throughout New Jersey. Call 732-906-1500 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 1862 Oak Tree Road, Edison, NJ 08820, as well as offices in Edison, Brick, Freehold, and Point Pleasant Beach.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.
