This blog was brought to you by Carabin Shaw – San Marcos Accident Injury Attorneys.
Compensation for Car Accident Claims
Car accidents are among the most dangerous of all accident types. They cause severe injuries and, tragically, often lead to death. If you or a family member has been involved in a car accident that was someone else’s fault, you may be entitled to make a claim and pursue the full compensation you’re owed. Along the I-35 corridor through San Marcos and Hays County, high-speed collisions are common, and the injuries they cause can follow victims for years. You can learn more about our San Marcos car accident lawyers here.
Whatever the cause — another car smashing into your rear end, a vehicle hitting you head-on, or a driver running a light — you can make a claim if it can be proven that your injury resulted from another person’s negligence. To give injured drivers across the area the strongest possible representation, our team works alongside the San Marcos car accident attorneys at Shaw Cowart.
Common Car Accident Injuries
The victims of car accidents can lose their lives or suffer severe, lasting physical disabilities. Many of these injuries affect the back and neck, and some require lifelong medical care that costs significant time and money. Two of the most common — whiplash and lumbar sprains and strains — are also among the most misunderstood, because their symptoms often appear hours or even days after the crash.
Whiplash Explained
Car accidents frequently give rise to whiplash, a broad term covering a range of neck and soft-tissue injuries. Rear-end collisions cause whiplash more than any other type of crash. Whiplash usually happens suddenly: the force of impact slings the head forward violently (hyperextension), affecting the head, spine, joints, discs, muscles, nerves, and other parts of the neck and back. Common symptoms include muscle spasms in the upper back, increased neck pain with movement, and escalating pain at the base of the neck. The symptoms may seem to stem from the neck, but they often originate from an underlying back injury.
Back Injuries: Lumbar Sprains and Strains
Injuries from a car accident can also cause lumbar sprains and strains — extremely painful back injuries. During a collision, the lower muscles in the back absorb a tremendous impact and can go into spasm, leading to severe, ongoing backaches. Back injuries are notoriously slow to heal, and when the impact is serious, recovery can take months or longer. In the worst cases, the damage is permanent and requires continuing treatment, physical therapy, or surgery.
What Compensation May Cover
A successful car accident claim can help cover the many costs these injuries create. Depending on your case, compensation may include current and future medical bills, lost wages and lost earning capacity, the cost of ongoing care or rehabilitation, property damage, and pain and suffering. Because injuries like whiplash and back damage can worsen over time, it’s important not to accept an early settlement before the full extent of your injuries is known — once you settle, you generally give up the right to seek anything more.
Talk to a San Marcos Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a car accident anywhere in San Marcos or Hays County, you don’t have to face the insurance company alone. An experienced attorney can investigate the crash, document your injuries, handle the negotiations, and fight for the full compensation you deserve. Keep in mind that in Texas you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim, so it’s best not to wait. Call Carabin Shaw today at (210) 222-2288 for a free, confidential consultation.