• 22
  • August
    2011

In Baton Rouge when most people think about car accident injuries, they think of cuts, broken bones, soft tissue injuries, etc. In other words, they think of injuries closely associated with the impact of the crash and trauma to the body. If someone talks about compensation for a car accident, most people think of damage to the vehicle and medical bills for injuries suffered at the time of the crash.

What many people forget, though, is that some injuries from car accidents are not so obvious right away. There can be many injuries from a car crash that do not become apparent until later on. That is why Baton Rouge drunk driving accident attorneys frequently advise their clients not to be too hasty when it comes to reaching a settlement for compensation after a car crash. A settlement made too soon could prevent a victim from getting needed compensation for injuries that were not apparent right away.

A prime example of an injury that was not apparent right away was that of a man who was waiting at a red light when he was struck by a drunk driver. The man suffered a ruptured disc in his spine, but all things considered, the accident was relatively minor and the injuries not very severe. At least that was the way it seemed.

As the months went on the man began to have pain that went far beyond what was normal for a ruptured disc. The pain grew worse, and began to spread to his legs, which had not been injuried in the crash. After seeing more than 35 different doctors, he was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome.

The condition is believed to be caused by damage to the nervous system after an injury, but the precise cause is not known. The victim suffers chronic pain, which gradually increases in intensity and frequently spreads to parts of the body that were not part of the initial injury. The nervous system sends inaccurate "fight or flight" signals to the body, causing inappropriate blood flows that lead to intense pain.

The man in question was able to get some help after his diagnosis, but he is rarely without pain. The good news for him was that he had an experienced car accident lawyer who was able to get the man $11 million in compensation for his injuries.

Source: Carroll County Times "Car crash leaves Westminster man struggling with chronic pain syndrome" Aug. 9, 2011