Vista Rear-End Crash Victims Seek Faster Whiplash Diagnosis
Throughout Vista, Del Mar, Hillcrest and San Diego, motorists are at risk of suffering whiplash if they are involved in a rear-end collision.
Not only can whiplash be a severe, debilitating injury, but it is also an injury that is difficult to diagnose. Whiplash may not show up on objective medical tests, which means that insurance companies sometimes do not recognize the severity of whiplash injuries.
A rear-end accident lawyer can help those who have suffered whiplash to try to recover compensation for the losses they are experiencing.
According to Physical Therapy Products, there may soon be a new test that makes this easier. The test has demonstrated promise in predicting which whiplash sufferers will develop chronic pain, lasting disability and post-traumatic stress disorder. If the use of the test becomes standard, it can be submitted as proof to insurance companies and in injury trials in order to make it easier for collision victims to get fully compensated for losses caused by whiplash.
Rear-End Crash Victims May Soon Get Faster, More Accurate Diagnosis
Rear-end collisions are the second-most common type of motor vehicle accident on roads throughout the country. According to Beloit University, around 28 percent of car accidents throughout the United States occur when one driver rear-ends the vehicle that is in front of his or her car.
Inside Science reports that rear-end accidents are one of the most common causes of back and neck injuries within the U.S. In fact, more than $8.5 million is spent each year treating neck and back injuries that result from rear-end accidents.
Patients who sustain these losses need insurance companies to cover their damages and pay for necessary medical treatment. Now, they may be able to use the results of an MRI to help them make their case for full compensation.
According to Physical Therapy products, researchers from Northwestern Medical Center have determined that patients whose MRIs show elevated amounts of fat in the neck muscles after a collision are likely to develop chronic and disabling pain due to whiplash. These patients are also more likely to develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The patients who experienced lasting complications from the whiplash injuries had higher amounts of fat in their neck muscles when the MRIs were performed between one and two weeks after the crash. They also had elevated fat when the MRIs were performed one to three months post-injury. Other patients who recovered from their injuries did not have these results.
This promising research could one day lead to all whiplash patients getting MRI testing performed. The results of the testing not only could make it easier for victims to successfully make insurance claims, but could also lead to patients getting earlier treatment that helps to mitigate some of the lasting whiplash effects.
Contact a Vista, CA personal injury attorney after your motor vehicle accident. Call the Law Offices of Ronald B. Laba today at (866) 434-1577. Also serving Del Mar, Hillcrest, San Diego, and surrounding areas.
