When a personal injury accident happens, the immediate focus is seeking treatment. However, in some cases, a ripple effect takes place and extends far beyond the initial injury. Secondary conditions resulting from a primary injury can affect your quality of life long after the accident. By learning more about secondary injuries, the impact they have on your quality of life and the importance of documentation, you can build a strong case to help ensure you receive the best payout possible.
What Is Considered a Secondary Injury?
A secondary injury in a personal injury case is a new health problem that happens due to the original injury from an accident. For example, if you hurt your right knee in a car accident, you may start putting more weight on your left leg. Over time, this may cause additional injuries to your left leg, knee or back.
In personal injury cases, it’s important to have proof that your secondary injury is connected to the original accident. This proof can include documents like medical records, doctor’s notes and other forms of evidence.
Common Types of Secondary Injuries That Result From Personal Injury Accidents
There are several types of secondary injuries that can result from an accident, whether it’s on the job or in a vehicle. Usually, the injuries that develop depend on how serious the accident was, the primary injury that you suffered and the type of medical care you received afterward. Some examples of these injuries include:
- Chronic pain – Chronic pain can develop when you break (or fracture) a bone. It can also cause you to miss out on the hobbies and activities you once enjoyed before the accident.
- Mental health problems – In some cases, an injury may cause a significant drop in your quality of life. This can result in developing mental health issues (such as depression and anxiety).
- Stroke – Head injuries (such as a skull fracture, brain bleed or traumatic brain injury) can put you at a higher risk of a stroke.
- Ligament, tendon and tissue damage – Shoulder and knee injuries may result from ligament, tendon and tissue damage. In these cases, it’s important to closely follow your physical rehabilitation plan to prevent your condition from worsening.
- Secondary brain injuries – A secondary brain injury may develop hours or days after the primary injury. Secondary brain injuries are very serious and often deadly.
- Oxygen deprivation – If you received a spinal cord injury, you’ll likely experience swelling near the injury site. This swelling often places intense pressure on the spinal cord, affecting how much oxygen can move throughout your body. This may lead to oxygen deprivation.
It is crucial that you report any injuries that develop after your accident, including ones that develop much later.
Lifestyle Adjustments Due to Secondary Injuries From Accidents
Secondary injuries may affect your life in many different ways. Depending on the injury, you may need to make several changes to how you move, work and exercise. Here are a few ways your lifestyle may need to change:
- Exercise – You may need to avoid certain activities altogether that can increase your pain. For example, a knee injury that causes hip pain may require you to switch from running to a low-impact activity (like swimming).
- Frequent breaks – Pain or weakness may make it more difficult to walk, stand or sit for long periods of time. You may need to take regular breaks throughout your workday.
- Pacing out daily tasks – Chronic pain due to secondary injuries may mean you’ll need to break down larger activities into smaller tasks to prevent joint strain or flare-ups.
- Mobility aids – Some people need to rely on crutches, a cane or a walker while recovering from an injury.
- Changing your work routine – Depending on the type or severity of injury you sustained, you may need to change your work duties or step away from work altogether.
- Household chores – Physically demanding tasks like cleaning and mowing may become much more difficult. It may be necessary to rely on friends or family members to help you or find new ways to accomplish these tasks.
- Modifying your home – If climbing stairs or walking becomes difficult, you may need to modify your living space by adding handrails, using a shower chair or rearranging your furniture.
- Driving – Secondary injuries may cause pain or limited movement, making driving difficult, if not impossible. Your doctor may limit how often you can drive or require you to wait until they say it’s safe to drive again.
In addition, secondary injuries stemming from an accident may require frequent doctor visits, physical therapy and medications. Following an intensive treatment plan and managing ongoing symptoms may place long-term changes on your daily way of life.
Why Is Timely Diagnosis and Treatment of Secondary Injuries Important?
There are several reasons why timely diagnosis and treatment are important for secondary injuries. Early intervention can allow professionals to assess medical complications, create targeted treatment plans and provide you with the support necessary to heal.
In addition, one of the most common tactics adjusters use to reduce or deny your claim value is to argue that a secondary injury is not related to the accident. If you experience chronic pain as a result of your injury, they may claim that it was a pre-existing condition. If you develop anxiety, depression or trauma after the accident, they may try to argue that your symptoms are due to a different cause.
Is It Possible To Get Compensation for Secondary Injuries?
Insurance adjusters do everything in their power to avoid paying out for secondary injuries. To overcome these arguments, it’s important to have clear medical documentation that establishes the connection between the accident, your primary injury and your secondary medical condition. Otherwise, the insurer is not obligated to provide you with compensation for these damages.
Proving secondary injuries can be hard. However, it is possible to receive compensation. By gathering the right evidence and hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer like the attorneys at Thomas Law Offices, you can build a strong case and pursue the best outcome possible.
