Dealing with lower back pain after a car accident can feel incredibly frustrating. When that back pain shows up weeks or months after a car accident, however, it can turn even more difficult. Not only do you have to deal with the pain itself, you may not be sure how to seek compensation for the damages that often go along with a lower back injury.
Can I File a Claim for Delayed Lower Back Pain After an Arizona Car Accident?
In Arizona, you have the right to file a personal injury claim any time you suffer a lower back injury or other injury in a car accident, including cases when you may not have noticed the pain immediately after the accident. You need to file a claim before the statute of limitations runs out, which, in Arizona, means that you have two years after the date of the accident to file a claim.
Contact Hutzler Law at 602-730-4530 to discuss your right to compensation for lower back pain following an Arizona car accident.
What Delayed Lower Back Pain May Mean After an Accident
Delayed back pain following a car accident is fairly common. During an accident, your body, including your back, takes a great deal of force. It can be jerked around violently, causing a number of potential injuries. However, your body produces a combination of chemicals that can block pain: adrenaline, which spikes immediately after the accident and helps keep you moving despite potential pain, and endorphins, which can prevent you from feeling pain for some time after an accident.
A short-term delay may mean that you suffered minor injury during the accident, but did not notice it at the time. A longer-term delay may mean that you suffered serious injury, but your body blocks out those signals until you have had a chance to slow down after the accident. Lower back pain that shows up days or weeks after the accident can indicate a number of possible injuries.
Muscle Sprains and Strains
The force of a car accident can put a great deal of pressure on your back, ultimately resulting in significant muscle strains and sprains. Some lower soreness is often normal in the days and weeks following a car accident. However, that does not mean that you should not see a medical care provider! A doctor can make sure that you receive all the care you need for any possible back injuries.
Whiplash
Whiplash frequently occurs due to the abrupt back and forth movement of the spine during a car accident. While whiplash often leads to neck pain, it can also lead to pain in the lower back. Some cases of whiplash develop into chronic whiplash.
Herniated Discs
A herniated disc, also known as a “slipped disc,” occurs when the jellylike substance inside a disc is pushed through a tear or opening, causing it to press on the nerves of the spinal cord. Herniated discs can cause significant pain and weakness in one limb or along one side of the body.
Fractures
In some cases, you may not notice the pain of a spinal fracture immediately after your accident. It can take time for that pain to set in. However, failure to properly treat a spinal fracture can lead to serious consequences.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Some patients do not realize that they suffered a spinal cord injury immediately after an Arizona car accident. Instead, moving around after the car accident can cause the spine to shift, leading to further pain and increased symptoms. Ignoring a spinal cord injury can lead to serious damage and even paralysis, so prompt treatment is essential to maintaining quality of life.
How to File a Claim for Damages from Delayed Lower Back Pain After a Car Accident
Delayed lower back pain can, in many cases, prove highly expensive. You can end up with:
- High medical bills
- Lost income due to inability to work because of the pain
- Significant suffering related to lower back injuries
Seeking compensation from the driver that caused your accident can make it easier for you to deal with many financial challenges. However, working closely with an Arizona car accident lawyer is essential to protecting your right to compensation.
1. Seek Medical Care as Soon as You Can
It can be tempting to put off medical care after a car accident, especially if you did not seek care at the time of the accident. Treatment for lower back pain, from diagnosis to ongoing care, can prove highly expensive. However, if you have lower back injuries from your car accident, seeking prompt medical care is crucial not only for your odds of making a full recovery from the accident, but also for your ability to recover much-needed compensation for those injuries.
Let your doctor know about the accident and ask for any scans or tests necessary to diagnose your lower back pain. Throughout the process, document all information given by your care provider, including the results of those scans and tests. Make sure you also keep track of all medical costs, including co-pays and deductibles, so you can pursue compensation for your financial losses.
2. Talk to a Lawyer
If you find yourself facing a lower back injury diagnosis or a long time out of work because of your car accident injuries, you can find the costs piling up quickly. Since your injuries occurred in the car accident, you may have the right to compensation. However, many people miss out on that compensation because they fail to talk to an attorney or let that attorney apprise them of their rights after a car accident.
Let your car accident lawyer take over all communications with the insurance company, including any discussion about a possible settlement. A lawyer will have a much better idea of the compensation you can expect for your back injuries.
3. Avoid Talking to the Insurance Company Directly
Direct conversations with the insurance company through your lawyer, rather than taking them on yourself. The insurance company may use a number of tactics designed to reduce the compensation you can recover for your injuries, and if you don’t navigate those conversations carefully, you can end up missing out on compensation you could otherwise recover. Do not discuss your prognosis or recovery with the insurance company, especially if you are in the process of receiving treatment for your back injuries.
Why You Need a Lawyer for Delayed Lower Back Pain After an Arizona Car Accident
You may think that you can handle a simple car accident claim on your own. When an injury enters the picture, however, it can change the balance of the situation. Insurance companies often dispute claims related to injuries in a car accident, and may go out of their way to reduce the compensation you can recover for those injuries. Having a lawyer on your side can help you navigate the difficult car accident claim process more successfully.
Establish When Your Injuries Took Place
When your back pain doesn’t set in for days or weeks after an accident, you may choose to forego medical care right after your accident. While that can prevent you from facing unexpected medical bills, it also makes it much more difficult to establish exactly when your injuries happened. A lawyer can work with medical experts to clearly establish when and how your lower back injuries occurred, which can help you fight for fair compensation.
Discover the Compensation You Really Deserve
When you suffer car accident injuries, including back injuries that result in delayed lower back pain, you can pursue compensation from the insurance company. However, that does not mean that the insurance company will automatically give you a fair offer. In fact, in many cases, the insurance company may start with a low settlement offer: one that does not really reflect the damages you sustained in the accident. Then, the insurance company may even pressure you to accept that offer.
A lawyer, on the other hand, will give you more information about the compensation you really deserve, including:
- Compensation for medical costs
- Coverage for lost wages
- Damages related to the suffering you faced due to the accident
While a car accident lawyer cannot guarantee the compensation you will recover, they can give you a much better idea of the damages you can include as part of your claim.
Fight for Fair Compensation
Not only can a lawyer help lay out the compensation you deserve, they can aid you in your fight for justice. With a lawyer on your side, you can often feel much more confident about the outcome of your claim.
Contact Hutzler Law’s Arizona Car Accident Lawyers Today
If you suffered delayed lower back pain after an Arizona car accident, including lower back pain related to serious injuries, do not wait to get the legal support you deserve. Contact Hutzler Law today at 602-730-4530 or fill out our contact form to get in touch with our qualified attorneys and learn more about your rights.
Jason Hutzler
Jason Hutzler is the founding partner of Phoenix personal injury law firm Hutzler Law, and represents individuals throughout Arizona. His practice is primarily dedicated to personal injury and car accident claims, leveraging his deep expertise as a former insurance adjustor to navigate the complexities of insurance negotiations.