T-bone impact      Whiplash Injury  Headache & Stiff Neck Lower Back Pain

 Medical Issue

• Symptoms of auto accident injury. Neck, shoulder and back pain are the universal symptoms of auto accident injury. Symptoms can appear immidialty after the accident  or delayed for days and weeks. Many patients complain additional symptoms on the course of therapies. Those new symptoms can appear when your body structure has changed due to the compensation mechanism of your body to avoid painful position. It is not rare to experience psycological symptoms such as depression and anxiety after the trauma. Sleep disturbance, financial problems, and chronic pain can cause those psycological symptoms.

• Hit from behind? Most common injuries we see here  are from rear end collision. The rear end collision can cause significant injury to the victim. Quick jerking movement of your neck (Whiplash) can cause serious damages to the ligaments, discs and muscles around cervical spine and shoulder, which would not be revealed in X ray since they are soft tissues.  Most rear ended motor vehicle accident happened wthout any notice, which is why you are so vulnerable to the injury. Earlier intervention is the utmost importance to manage the injuries  as well as reduce the speed of future degenerative arthritis in your spine.
• If there is no fracture or dislocation of the bone, then the injuries are called sofe tissue injuries.  X ray results are usually unremarkable but you are complaining neck and back pain. Most motor vehicel accident injuries are soft tissue injuries but there are not many expert doctors who understand the nature of these injuries. Youshould be aware if any doctors, acupucturists or any health care practitioners who advertise that they treat motor vehicle accident injuries without proper education of motor vehicle accident. withour proper rehab therapy to the injured soft tissues, the injured may develope chnonic pain syndrome.

• Minor car damage can not be related to the severity of your body Injury. Most cars today are specailly designed to minimize car damages that ironically can increase bodily damages to the occupants inside. 

• Major injuries are those ones with bone fractures and dislocated joints and brain damages. Many cases patients with these problems stay in Hospital and have surgeries. Rehabilitation therapies still needed 3 to 5 months to finish at our clinic.

• Most X -Ray after rear ended car accident injuries shows negative to fractured bones or dislocated joints.  X ray is harmful to your body anyway. If we find a possible fracture after pertinet initial examination, of course we will send you to take X ray at nearby radiology group. Avoid a clinic that ask every patients to take X rays just because you are involved in a car accident. Our clinic has a EMG diagnostic eqpuipment to detect soft tissue damages in your muscles that  more likely to get by any car accident.

 Legal Issue

 ( This opinion is based on common sense and from our clinical experiences.  Always consult your lawyer before you make final decision.  Lawyers will give you the best legal advices.)

• Do I need a lawyer for my auto accident injury?  If you hire a lawyer then you may eperience less headache when dealing with an  insurance company's claim expert. You may have to share with your lawyer about 33 % of your recovery whcih is the result of your lawyer's professional work.  We see patients represented by lawyers and also see ones without lawyers. We will send the bills to your lawyer if you have one and wait for the balance payment until the final settlement.  But we will also help your paperworks if you decide to do the legal work by yourself.

• Who should I contact first, a lawyer or a doctor ?   Many lawyers advertise that you need to call their offices  if you have a MVA.   But when you call their offices they will tell you that you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.  So it is not a bad idea if you call a clinic like us first.  It also makes more sense when you look for a doctor's help before you  look  for a lawyer's help.  Insurance company will feel moe comfortable with a person who calls doctor first thana lawyer. We, as a personl injury specialized clinic, also know the best local PI lawyers to refer.

• My Insurance company wants to settle my case before I hire a lawyer or even I start the medical care. Lawyers make better deal against insurance negotiators or claim adjusters. And if you  prematurely settle your case, then you may have to pay all the future medical bills that may  more than you have recieved from insurance company.  It will be not too late if you settle it after you finished your thrapy.

• What is the 'PIP'? PIP stands for personal injury protection. It is a separate health insurance in your auto mobile insurance and mandated by Maryland State.  Just like your health insurance, you pay the premium and you  use it when you get injured by a car accident.  There should be no penalty to use it as your health insurance does.  PIP is your right to use it. If you don't use it, you loose it.  Personal injury lawyers will encourage their clients to use their PIP  because thierrecovery will increase with the amount of PIP amount since the medical bill is already paid by PIP.