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Chronic Pain After a Car Accident

Every car wreck is unique, and so is every victim’s recovery. Some people have a straightforward path back to their pre-crash level of health and wellness, but some victims experience chronic pain that lingers for months or even years after a wreck.

If you’re experiencing chronic pain after a car accident, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Many car accident victims find themselves in the same situation. In this article, we’ll explain what chronic pain is and talk about some of the options that can help you deal with its effects.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Medical professionals generally place physical pain into two different categories: acute and chronic.

  • Acute pain is sharp or sudden pain that lessens over time. You might feel acute pain when you suffer an injury or get sick.
  • Chronic pain is persistent pain that lasts for an indefinite amount of time and doesn’t improve on its own.

Doctors and scientists are still trying to understand the nature of chronic pain and why it persists. In some cases, chronic pain lingers long after any detectable physical injuries have healed. Although more research is being done, no credible medical professional doubts that chronic pain is a real phenomenon. All leading medical organizations and associations categorize chronic pain as a medical condition that can exist independent of any other.

Some of the most current scientific research related to chronic pain indicates that exposure to long-term pain creates physical and chemical changes in a person’s brain. The brain becomes so conditioned to sending pain signals that it continues to do so even after the initial injury or illness that started those signals has healed. In other words, pain creates more pain in a vicious cycle that’s difficult to stop.

Chronic pain in your body can also affect your family and others around you, including your friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. Constantly experiencing pain can lead to depression, withdrawal, and irritability towards those around you. These effects can further impact your quality of life.

RELATED ARTICLE: 6 Critical Steps After a Car Accident

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What Can I Do About My Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain can make you feel powerless, but there’s always something you can do to take control of the situation and begin managing your pain. To start, here are three options that may be able to provide some relief.

  1. Talk to Your Doctor About Your Pain
    If you’re suffering from chronic pain, you may have already spoken to your doctor about what you’re going through. However, if you’ve avoided bringing up your pain so far, you should talk to your doctor openly and honestly about your symptoms. You don’t need to worry about your doctor not believing you or getting frustrated. Chronic pain is a well-documented medical condition, and your doctor will almost certainly have experience dealing with people who suffer from chronic pain.If your doctor doesn’t have answers or immediate ideas for treatment, they should be able to refer you to a pain specialist who can help. Your doctor or specialist may prescribe a combination of treatments, which could include medication, physical therapy, and other types of therapy.And if you do speak to your doctor and they ignore or dismiss your claims, you should get a second opinion from another medical professional. This type of response to a chronic pain victim’s symptoms isn’t normal or acceptable from a medical professional.
  2. Explore Alternative Treatments for Chronic Pain
    Pain is a complex experience, and finding treatments for it is a highly individual process. In addition to traditional treatment options like medication and physical therapy, you may want to talk with your doctor about alternative treatments. Some chronic pain sufferers have experienced relief from psychological counseling, acupuncture, relaxation techniques, and certain types of exercise.While these alternative treatments don’t necessarily take the place of traditional solutions like prescription drugs, they can provide a powerful complement. In fact, many leading medical experts who study pain and pain relief believe that a multi-pronged approach combining traditional therapies with alternative treatments may be the most effective way to treat chronic pain.

  3. Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
    While an attorney won’t be able to help your pain from a physical standpoint, every chronic pain sufferer knows that the effects of pain go beyond bodily discomfort. Many chronic pain victims visit doctor after doctor searching for answers and relief, and the medical bills from this search mount up quickly. In addition, victims may miss time at work (leading to lost wages), and they often have to forego family functions, vacations, and favorite hobbies, all of which affects their quality of life.If chronic pain from a car wreck has created financial stress and lowered your quality of life, an attorney may be able to help you file a personal injury claim and receive compensation that can address these costs and losses. While a claim or lawsuit won’t make your pain go away, it can provide relief from financial stress so you can focus on what matters most: your health and well-being.

Contact Myers Law Firm for Help if You’ve Been Hurt in a Car Crash in Charlotte, North Carolina

If you’re suffering from chronic pain or other injuries after a car wreck due to someone else’s negligence, you deserve justice and compensation for your losses, and the team at Myers Law Firm is here to help. At Myers Law Firm, we use our years of experience and our knowledge of local courts to fight for justice on behalf of auto accident victims throughout Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

We offer free initial consultations for all personal injury cases. During this time, we’ll listen to your story and provide you with expert advice about your best course of action, all at no financial risk to you. And we handle injury cases on a “no recovery, no fee” basis, so you’ll never have to worry about how to pay for our services.

To schedule your free consultation and talk with an experienced personal injury lawyer today, please complete our online form or call 888-376-2889.

References

Understanding pain. (2016, July 26). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/understanding-pain/art-20208632

Chronic pain treatment options. (n.d.). Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-pain/chronic-pain-treatment-options

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.

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Medical Payments Coverage

After a serious car crash, as the medical bills start piling up, you might wonder who will pay them. The answer could be the medical payments coverage on your insurance policy.

For many North Carolina accident victims, medical payments (Med Pay) coverage offers much-needed compensation while they recover from their injuries. However, to get value out of Med Pay coverage, it’s important to understand how this coverage works and what types of losses it covers.

What Is Med Pay Insurance?

Med Pay is an optional form of motor vehicle insurance coverage in North Carolina. After a car crash, Med Pay should cover your reasonable and necessary medical expenses up to your policy limit.

Unlike most other types of motor vehicle coverage, you do not have to prove fault or liability to receive compensation from Med Pay. Even if you caused the crash, you might have a valid Med Pay claim.

It’s also important to understand what Med Pay won’t cover. Unlike some forms of insurance, Med Pay doesn’t compensate you for your lost wages or income. It also won’t address your pain, suffering, or emotional distress.

RELATED: Here’s How the Insurance Company Will Fight Your Personal Injury Claim

Your Med Pay policy covers more than just you (the policyholder). It also typically protects:

  • Your spouse
  • Family members that live in your household
  • People who are passengers in the covered motor vehicle

In fact, your Med Pay policy covers you and family members who live with you even when you’re riding in someone else’s vehicle, walking on the street, or riding your bike. If your household has multiple Med Pay policies, you can also “stack” them and receive compensation from more than one policy if you have significant medical bills.

Unfortunately, most people purchase very limited Med Pay policies, and they end up with $2,000 or less in coverage. If you’ve ever been to the hospital for an injury, you know that $2,000 won’t pay for much in the way of medical treatment. Because the premiums on most Med Pay policies are relatively inexpensive, we encourage everyone to purchase as much coverage as they can reasonably afford.

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How Do I File a Med Pay Claim?

People who suffer injuries in a crash often don’t even realize they have Med Pay coverage, and unfortunately, their insurance company typically won’t remind them. To determine whether you have Med Pay, you can review your auto insurance declaration page, which list the types of coverage included in your policies. If you’ve been injured in or around Charlotte and you need help obtaining or interpreting your declaration page, contact Myers Law Firm for assistance.

If you have Med Pay coverage, you should contact your insurance company immediately after a wreck. You’ll have to provide them with information about the circumstances of the crash, your injuries, and the medical treatment you received.

Sometimes, insurance companies deny Med Pay claims. For example, they might argue that your treatment was unreasonable or unnecessary, especially if the treatment involved a relatively new drug or technology. If your insurance company tells you they won’t pay your Med Pay claim, you should immediately contact an experienced personal injury lawyer for help.

How Is Med Pay Different Than PIP Coverage?

You might have heard of personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. PIP is another form of no-fault insurance that covers your medical bills and lost wages after a car crash.

PIP policies are not available in North Carolina. However, if you are an out-of-state driver or recently moved to North Carolina, you might have a PIP policy. If you’ve been injured in a crash in or around Charlotte, you can contact Myers Law Firm for more information about filing a claim with an out-of-state insurance policy.

Won’t My Health Insurance Pay My Medical Bills?

Sometimes people decide not to purchase a Med Pay policy because they believe they have good health insurance coverage through their employer or another program. However, it’s important to remember that even the best health insurance plan will typically leave you with out-of-pocket expenses.

For example, your health insurance plan might have a high deductible, which means you’ll have to meet your deductible before your policy starts covering any medical expenses. Many health insurance policies today have deductibles of $10,000 or more. And even after you satisfy your deductible, you might have co-pays or other out-of-pocket expenses.

RELATED ARTICLE: 8 Things You Should Never Do After an Auto Accident

When you have Med Pay insurance, it will reimburse you for some or all of these out-of-pocket costs depending on the size of your policy. The peace of mind and financial safety net you get from Med Pay is well worth the relatively small increase in premiums, which is why we recommend all North Carolina drivers purchase as much Med Pay coverage as they can reasonably afford.

Myers Law: Helping Clients Recover After Car Accidents in Charlotte and Throughout Mecklenburg County

When you work with a personal injury lawyer at Myers Law Firm, we’ll carefully review your insurance policies and identify every potential claim that you might have, including Med Pay, uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM), and other types of coverage. We’re here to advocate for you and protect your rights, and if we’re able to take your case, we’ll fight aggressively to get you fair compensation for your injuries.

If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligent behavior in Charlotte or anywhere else in Mecklenburg County, contact us to get a free case assessment from one of our attorneys. To schedule your free initial consultation, just fill out our online form or call 704-376-3000.

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.

Contact Myers Law Firm

We are committed to continuing to serve our clients’ legal needs

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We are able to meet with clients and hold consultations with prospective clients via telephone or video conference. If you need to contact us, please do not hesitate; we are happy to speak with you about your situation, your needs, and how we can help.

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Four Important Factors That Could Significantly Impact the Outcome of Your Motorcycle Accident Case

Motorcycles offer riders a sense of freedom and adventure that’s hard to find anywhere else. Unfortunately, that freedom comes at a price: motorcycles provide very little protection during a collision.

If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries during a motorcycle accident and someone else’s negligent behavior caused the crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. However, motorcycle cases are complex, and there are lots of factors that can affect the value of your claim. Read on to learn about four important factors that could significantly impact the outcome of your motorcycle accident case.

1. The Amount of Insurance Coverage Will Impact Your Ability to Get Compensation

North Carolina is a fault-based state. In other words, the law in our state says that a negligent driver is financially responsible for the injuries he or she causes in an auto accident. If you are a motorcycle driver or rider and you get hit by a negligent driver, your injuries are likely to be much more severe than if you were in a car.

For this reason, motorcycle riders and all other vehicle owners in North Carolina must carry a minimum amount of motor vehicle insurance. All motor vehicles, including motorcycles, must have coverage of at least:

  • $30,000 per person for bodily injury claims, up to $60,000 per accident
  • $25,000 for property damage claims
  • $30,000 per person in uninsured bodily injury coverage, up to $60,000 per accident
  • $25,000 for uninsured property damage claims

While many drivers opt for higher policy limits, about 6.5% of North Carolina drivers are completely uninsured, and many more carry only the minimum coverage.

RELATED ARTICLE: Follow This Free Car Accident Checklist to Help Your Injury Lawsuit

If you’re injured in a serious motorcycle accident, your damages can quickly exceed the minimum coverage limits mandated by North Carolina law. For example, a spinal surgery such as a fusion or laminectomy can easily cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that doesn’t even include the costs of post-surgical physical therapy and pain management.

When a negligent driver doesn’t have sufficient insurance to pay for your lost income, medical bills, and other damages, your uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) motorist coverage should cover your injuries, up to your policy limits. Because of the prevalence of uninsured and underinsured drivers in North Carolina, we encourage all drivers to purchase a motorcycle or auto insurance policy with UM/UIM limits that are above the state minimum.

2. You’ll Need Strong Evidence Supporting Your Claims

The amount of the recovery for your motorcycle accident claim will depend on the facts and circumstances surrounding the crash. Because insurance companies are for-profit companies, they look for any reason they can find to dispute motorcycle claims and make unreasonably low settlement offers. You’ll need compelling evidence to fight back against these tactics.

RELATED ARTICLE: 10 Surprising Facts About Motorcycle Accidents

You should always treat your motorcycle claim as if it’s going to trial. This means compiling all the evidence that tells the story of how you got hurt and your subsequent medical treatment, including:

  • Medical records that document your injuries, treatment, and functional limitations
  • Estimates of your need for future medical treatment
  • Witness statements
  • Accident reports, crash investigation data, and accident reconstructions
  • Lost income calculations
  • Engineering assessments of defective car and motorcycle parts
  • Documentation of how your quality of life changed after the crash

It’s also important to understand the weaknesses in your claim. For example, North Carolina is a contributory negligence state. You might lose your right to compensation if your own actions, such as failing to observe traffic laws, contributed to your injuries. This is why it’s especially important to work with an experienced attorney who can anticipate a contributory negligence defense and fight back with convincing evidence.

3. You Must File a Timely Claim

No matter how strong your claim is, it’s worthless once the statute of limitations expires. A statute of limitations is a filing deadline established by state law. If you file after the statute of limitations, the court will automatically reject your claim. In North Carolina, you typically must file your motorcycle accident claims within three years of the crash or within two years if the crash resulted in death.

However, you should never wait until the last minute to file a claim. Before a personal injury lawyer files a motorcycle accident claim, he or she must carefully investigate the facts, compile evidence, and assess the value of your claims. This isn’t a quick and easy process.

If you wait too long, you might struggle to find an experienced lawyer who will take your case. You also might lose valuable evidence as memories fade and records are destroyed. For all these reasons, you should consult with a motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible after a crash.

4. An Experienced Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Increase Your Chances of Getting a Fair Settlement

Insurance companies deny claims and make low-ball offers to victims to increase their own profits. Even though the claims adjuster for the other driver’s insurance company might seem friendly and concerned, he or she is actively looking for reasons to dispute or devalue your claim. And when accident victims handle their own motorcycle claims, it’s easy for them to make mistakes.

Your claim requires a careful analysis of the facts, medical records, and legal issues surrounding the crash and your injuries. At Myers Law Firm, we believe that crash victims should focus on their recovery and let an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer handle the intricacies of their claims. We guide our clients through every step of the litigation process with the goal of maximizing their recovery and supporting them as they heal from the injuries and trauma they’ve suffered.

RELATED ARTICLE: How Do I Know if the Insurance Company’s Settlement Offer Is Fair?

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Myers Law Firm: Fighting for Motorcycle Accident Victims in Charlotte and Throughout Mecklenburg County

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed after a motorcycle accident. If you or a loved one are struggling after a serious crash, contact the experienced lawyers at Myers Law Firm. We provide our clients with compassionate advice and aggressive representation, and we handle all personal injury cases on a contingent fee basis, so you won’t pay attorney’s fees unless we help you get financial compensation for your injuries. To schedule your free initial consultation today, fill out our easy online contact form or call us at 888-376-2889.

References

Facts and statistics: Uninsured drivers. (n.d.). Insurance Information Institute. Retrieved from https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-uninsured-motorists

Wolters Kluwer Health. (2015, September 1). Big differences in U.S. healthcare costs for fixing back pain. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150901121052.htm

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.

Contact Myers Law Firm

We are committed to continuing to serve our clients’ legal needs

Single Divider

We are able to meet with clients and hold consultations with prospective clients via telephone or video conference. If you need to contact us, please do not hesitate; we are happy to speak with you about your situation, your needs, and how we can help.

Schedule Your Consultation Now!

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