Auto accident victims in Tennessee may not become aware of certain injuries they incurred until days or weeks after the event. This is why it’s important to know what sort of conditions can be delayed and what their symptoms will be.
First, victims may experience neck, shoulder and back pain. These three together may signify whiplash or a herniated disc. It will most likely be the latter if the back pain is accompanied by numbness and a tingling sensation as these would indicate that the disc is pinching or pressing up against a nerve. Whiplash can also cause headaches, but headaches alone may be the result of a brain injury or blood clot.
Brain injuries can result in personality changes. In fact, accident victims may develop emotional trauma independent of any injuries. This trauma can lead to anxiety, a driving phobia or post-traumatic stress disorder. Disfigurement caused by injuries, though, may be so bad as to cause victims to fall into a depression.
Victims are advised to wait until they reach maximum medical improvement before striving for a settlement. That way, they can have a complete medical evaluation done and be compensated for all their injuries. In the meantime, they should not file a release of liability form with the other side’s auto insurance company.
Those who are serious about filing a claim may want to hire a lawyer who has car accident lawsuit experience. The lawyer may determine if the case is strong in light of Tennessee’s comparative negligence rule and then proceed to build the case up with evidence gathered by crash investigators and other third parties. Victims may have their lawyer negotiate on their behalf for a settlement covering past and future medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages.
