When you have neck and back pain from a car accident, you might be looking at not only medical costs, but also long-term consequences that include financial loss, diminished productivity, and emotional injuries. When you have suffered a neck or back injury in an accident, it is important to receive compensation for both your immediate and your long-term losses.
Neck and back injuries are some of the most common car accident injuries. These injuries may have no external symptoms, such as bleeding or swelling at the site of the injury, but the consequences can be devastating last for a very long time.
Financial Damages from Neck and Back Injuries
Victims of neck and back pain may require not only medical care and hospitalization, but also ongoing physical therapy and rehabilitation. Treatments, like traction therapy, for back pain are neither inexpensive nor are they always covered by health insurance. Some therapies have to continue for months and even years to be effective, which adds to the victim’s financial expenses.
Financi
al damages also include the lost income and diminished earning capacity the pain caused. If the pain is chronic or constant, the person may no longer be able to sit, stand, or walk for long periods of time, possibly making it difficult for him to return to his earlier job, adding to his financial challenges.
Lost Productivity at Home
A person who suffered back or neck injuries may have restricted mobility and movement, making it difficult for him to help around the house. Spouses find themselves under pressure because victims are no longer able to pick up groceries, help with the housework, look after the children, or perform other activities they were able to before the accident.
Lower Quality of Life
When a person has suffered a neck or back injury, he may no longer be able to exercise, hike, play sports, or enjoy any of the other activities that he used to participate in before the injury. Even something as simple as kicking a ball around the park with the kids can be a major challenge, if not impossible. These challenges can dramatically reduce the quality of the person's life.
Emotional Trauma and Depression
Several studies have explored the strong connection between neck and back pain, and depression or anxiety. As many as 75 percent of people who report feelings of depression also suffer from signs of physical pain. The inability to deal with the constant pain and reduced mobility make a person susceptible to mood swings.
There are ways you can be compensated for your pain, both physical and emotional. Speak to a car accident lawyer for help filing a claim for back and neck pain.
