How Truck Accidents Can Lead to Chronic Pain Conditions

Truck accidents can leave victims with a long list of injuries, from broken bones and road rash to traumatic brain injuries and amputations. The force of a truck accident is severe enough to cause permanent damage, and some victims are left struggling with chronic pain for the rest of their lives. Not only does chronic pain severely impact an individual’s quality of life, but it can also be very difficult to manage medically.

When you’re involved in a crash caused by someone else’s mistake, you could be entitled to substantial compensation. Find out now by calling Bailey Javins & Carter at 800-497-0234 to set up a consultation with our Charleston truck accident lawyers 

Physical Trauma Caused by Truck Accidents

Few things are capable of causing as much physical trauma as a tractor-trailer. When you’re talking about a crash involving two vehicles with a significant size disparity, those in the smaller vehicle are almost always going to fare worse. That’s why victims can suffer musculoskeletal injuries, soft tissue injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. 

Musculoskeletal injuries often involve damage to the neck, spine, arms, and legs. Soft tissue injuries can lead to damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This includes whiplash, which is incredibly common in vehicle collisions. However, when whiplash is caused by a truck accident, the long-term side effects are much more likely to be severe.

Conditions Leading to Chronic Pain

Unfortunately, a full recovery isn’t always possible after a truck accident. Victims lucky enough to survive their injuries may still deal with them for the rest of their lives. They may struggle with physical limitations, the mental trauma of permanent injuries, and ongoing pain. Whiplash in particular can leave victims with chronic neck pain, migraines, and cognitive impairment. 

When an accident victim suffers soft tissue damage, they may develop chronic conditions that result in untreatable pain. For example, myofascial pain syndrome leaves victims with tender trigger points that radiate pain to nearby parts of the body.

Chronic pain can often lead to an overall decrease in mental and emotional health. Suffering through pain temporarily is mentally draining; knowing that you’ll have to do so for the rest of your life is disheartening. Mental health concerns and chronic pain can feed off each other, leading to a vicious cycle for the victim at the center of it all.

Difficulty of Seeking Compensation for Chronic Pain Conditions

Getting compensation for any type of injury after a truck accident is a challenge. When you’re seeking compensation for a chronic pain condition, the hurdles you have to jump are even higher. Visible injuries like broken bones and amputated limbs are easy to quantify. You can see their impact on a victim, understand what limitations they cause, and compensate them accordingly. The same is true for head injuries that impact a person’s cognitive function, such as moderate and severe brain injuries.

The same isn’t true for chronic pain. You can’t see chronic pain on an individual’s body, and you can’t do a diagnostic test to confirm or deny the existence of pain. Chronic pain is subjective and hard to identify, and sadly, insurance companies will go to great lengths to deny its existence or accuse accident victims of exaggerating their experiences.

That’s why it’s important to seek care immediately and continue care as you try to manage your conditions. Medical experts can get a deeper understanding of your injuries and the chronic pain they cause, explore different treatment options, and document any limitations you develop as a result of your chronic pain.

If you do develop chronic pain after an accident, ensure that you work with an attorney with experience in this type of personal injury case. Proving chronic pain is hard, but not impossible. A strong personal injury attorney can gather evidence of chronic pain and use that to demand fair compensation.

Fight for Full and Fair Compensation with Bailey Javins & Carter

If chronic pain has taken over your life after a truck accident, know that you are not alone. The team at Bailey Javins & Carter is here to advocate for you. Take the first step toward justice now by contacting us online or calling us at 800-497-0234.